By Nick Triggle Health reporter, BBC News

A mother of a young girl with severe learning difficulties speaks about her struggle.

Ms Crawshaw has to provide round the clock care for Stephanie

Lesley Crawshaw says she is a prisoner in her own home.

The 46-year-old works round the clock caring for her daughter, Stephanie.

The 12-year-old has multiple learning difficulties, severe epilepsy and is fed through a tube straight into her stomach.

Most children fed in such a way can have it performed automatically by a machine, but Stephanie's daily seizures means this is impossible as she could choke.

Instead, her mother gets up through the night to feed her every three hours.

Ms Crawshaw, a single mother from Preston who also has a younger daughter with heart problems, said: "It has made me depressed. As Stephanie has got older I have found I need more and more help looking after her, but there has been very little coming.

"We just seem to have been forgotten about."

Help

Ms Crawshaw has had help from carers paid for by local social services, but officials say staff do not have the necessary expertise to care for the epilepsy and so Ms Crawshaw always has to be present.

Last summer, Stephanie had a medical assessment and the local NHS agreed she need medical support, but passed this back to social services.

"Since then I have heard nothing. I am in limbo."

WHO'S BEING HIT? Elderly - Campaigners say those being discharged from hospital often find their intermediate care to help with rehabilitation being curtailed and difficulty getting access to nursing care for long-term conditions Children with learning disabilities - Families often need home support and respite care, but Mencap says social services and the NHS increasingly divesting itself of responsibility Disabled people - No clear criteria on who should be providing equipment such as wheelchairs and specialist beds mean many are struggling to get hold of them Mental health patients - Tends to be the community services hit rather than acute care, with many areas cutting back on provision of psychological services, such as talking therapies

Ms Crawshaw's story is not unique. Campaigners say more and more people are falling between the gaps.

Where the responsibility of the NHS ends and social care starts has always been a grey area, but all the indications are it is getting worse as the two sectors make cuts.

A Local Government Association survey of councils found seven in 10 councils had suffered because of NHS cut backs, but at the same time local authorities have tightened their eligibility criteria.

Two thirds of local authorities only provide care to people with the most substantial needs, excluding those who need help dressing, cooking and getting about.

By 2010, the LGA predicts no council will be providing this low and moderate level care.

Councils, in particular, have been vocal in their criticism of the NHS over what they see as unfair cost-cutting measures which leave patients dumped on them.

Brent Council in London has gone as far as threatening to take its local health trust to court as it claims it is having to provide �9m extra of services to mental health patients and the elderly due to local cuts.

The Local Government Association and charities Age Concern and Help the Aged cited cases of elderly people who were suffering after being discharged from hospital.

Trend

Under arrangements to cut hospital stays, patients are given a set period of intermediate care arranged by the NHS, normally six weeks.

But the groups say once that is finished the NHS is leaving them to social services.

The LGA said social services often do not have the necessary nursing skills to properly care for the patients.

A similar trend is emerging over the continuing care of people with long-term conditions.

Jonathan Ellis, policy manager at Help the Aged, said: "These are particularly vulnerable people, but increasingly they are being denied the care they need."

Similar gaps in care have also been reported for mental health patients and funding for equipment for disabled people such as wheelchairs.

Jo Webber, deputy director of policy for the NHS Confederation, acknowledged the relationship between the two was becoming ever more "challenging".

The Confederation is so concerned about the problem that it is producing a briefing later this month for health bosses reminding them of the importance of good working relationships with social services directors.

"It is not easy, but we still have to remember there is still a lot of good partnership working."