MPs are demanding an overhaul of social care for the elderly as vulnerable pensioners face crisis conditions because of cutbacks.

A powerful committee warned responsibility for elderly care, health and housing services is so fragmented patients are "passed like a parcel" between departments.

The Health Select Committee called for health trusts and local authorities to create a single body to prevent elderly people suffering a "diminished quality of life".

It argued the country should follow the model pioneered by Torbay Care Trust in South Devon, where pooling various social care budgets has improved welfare.

The report blames poor coordination between councils and the NHS for many pensioners being sent to hospital unnecessarily, reducing their chances of recovery and wasting public money.

Stephen Dorrell, chairman of the health select committee, said there was an "urgent" need to join-up services against a backdrop of an ageing population and town hall cutbacks.

Dr Sarah Wollaston, Conservative MP for Totnes, who sits on the committee, warned patients will get "inappropriate, de layed and duplicated" services without reform.

But she said that overhauling social care risks "dropping off the agenda" amid the furore over wider NHS reform, which will see local health care trusts abolished.

The former GP added: "While it is painfully obvious to those caring for those with complex needs that there is a gap between the funding and provision of social care for older people, this has yet to be acknowledged by the Department of Health."

Cornwall MP Andrew George, who also sits on the cross-party committee, said: "The mantra of joined-up health and social care goes back as long as I can remember, but no-one has got round to doing it."

The Liberal Democrat MP for St Ives added: "You can have ten people trooping through your home to make sure you have the right care when one would have done. It should be a seamless, well-organised service where people don't know who is providing the service."

MPs warned the Government's commitment of an extra £2 billion a year for social care by 2014/15 is "not sufficient" to maintain adequate levels of service and efficiency.

The cross-party committee also said the large bills pensioners are left with, for services such as home help, come as a "shock" to many.

It called on the Government to accept the "principle" of a cap in costs following the recommendation last year by the Dilnot Commission for the state to step in when bills rise above £35,000 for any individual.

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said: "We know that urgent reform of the care and support system is needed.

"We will be responding to this report and the Dilnot Commission this spring, with full proposals for reform of adult social care in a White Paper and progress report on funding reform."