Charity brands Hunt a 'hypocrite' after day care for 33,000 lonely elderly is axed: Minister who condemned Britons for not looking after the old comes under fire Cuts amounting to 37 per cent since 2010 have slashed the number of places at day centres for the elderly Mr Hunt, who has a Chinese wife says he has been inspired by the 'respect for older people in Asian culture' But charities accuse him of being "romantic" and outdated in his views and say even in China traditions are changing rapidly By Nick Craven Romantic notion: Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt with Chinese wife Lucia pictured earlier this year Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has been accused of "hypocrisy" for saying British people don't care enough for the elderly - when Coalition cuts mean nearly 33,000 older people have lost access to day care centres. The Mail on Sunday can reveal the dramatic cuts amount to a 37 per cent loss since 2010 in the number of places at the centres, described as a "lifeline against isolation" for many. Charities said it was hypocritical for Mr Hunt to launch a fight against loneliness among the elderly while slashing budgets and forcing the closure of the day centres. "Policy rhetoric about preventative services without funding is surely hypocritical," said Richard Furze, chief executive of the charity Friends Of The Elderly. The Government should not be too quick to tell others what more they should do when they are cutting funding for services such as community transport and day centres that are a lifeline to so many older people. The day care centre figures from the NHS Information Service show that in 2010 there were 88,498 elderly people using centres in England, which fell to 68,160 by 2012 and 55,655 by 2013. In some regions such as the West Midlands, the numbers plummeted by 52 per cent while the drop was 46 per cent in London. Meanwhile Mr Hunt, who used China as an example of a society where the elderly are better treated, was accused of a "romantic" and outdated view. Caroline Abrahams, director of Age UK, said: "We were not wholly convinced by Mr Hunt's rather romantic suggestion that we have lessons to learn from China. Life is changing quite fast there. Several generations ago, families there would stay together, especially in rural areas, but they are industrialising so quickly and younger people are moving to the cities in search of work, very often leaving the older people behind. Mr Hunt, who has a Chinese wife, Lucia, had spoken ten days ago of "a forgotten million who live amongst us - ignored to our national shame." Placing the onus on families, he had claimed: "Each and every lonely person has someone who could visit them and offer companionship." He added: "I am struck by the reverence and respect for older people in Asian culture. In China and Japan, it is quite normal for elderly parents to live with their children and their families. Campaigners also derided a recent government suggestion that one way for the elderly to combat isolation was to connect to the internet on tablet computers and hold video conferences with friends and relatives. The suggestion was made in response to a critical House of Lords committee report on ministerial plans to cope with the care crisis. Alone with their troubles: Charities say that too many old people are being left in their homes without any company But Jane Silk, director of the newspaper Mature Times, said: "It's the ultimate insult. So the elderly are to sit in the only heated room in the house with a television and a tablet for company - is that their only solution? A Department of Health spokesman said: "Day centres can provide a valuable service but the wider problem of loneliness needs to be tackled by a change in attitude by society. There is no substitute for each and every lonely person having someone to visit them. We have allocated an extra £200 million for local authorities for 2014-15, and created a £3.8 billion budget for health and social care in 2015-16. This investment will help to drive forward better health and wellbeing for thousands of older people.