Richard Stapeley, who has Multiple Sclerosis, says his 30-minute visits are not long enough. Photo: BBC NEWS

The charity says such visits can "force disabled people to choose whether to go thirsty or to go to the toilet".

But care managers insisted some short visits could be "fully justified and fully adequate".

Forced to choose

Leonard Cheshire is pushing for a ban on what it calls the "scandal of flying 15-minute visits", lobbying the government to outlaw the practice in England.

A report published by the charity said short visits "simply do not allow enough time to deliver good-quality care" - but data from 63 local authorities pointed to a 15% rise in such visits in the last five years.

Chief executive Clare Pelham said visits should be at least 30 minutes long.

"Every day, many disabled and older people in the UK receive personal care," she said.

"It is disgraceful to force disabled people to choose whether to go thirsty or to go to the toilet by providing care visits as short as 15 minutes long."

Most people need 40 minutes to get up, washed, dressed and have breakfast, she added.

"We should demand better from our councillors and remind them that disabled people are real people with real feelings and should be treated as they themselves would wish to be treated - with kindness, with care and with respect."

But the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass), which represents care managers, argued it was "totally wrong" to suggest that all caring tasks require more than 15 minutes.

Sandie Keene, the association's president, said some short visits were "fully justified and fully adequate".

It was "frankly naive to believe that simply by abolishing 15-minute slots a magic wand will have been waved, and improvements automatically achieved in our care services," she added.

"It doesn't work like that."

'Substantially underfunded'

Leonard Cheshire wants peers to back a ban by amending the government's Care Bill when it is debated in the House of Lords on Wednesday.

The charity says some councils carry out more than 75% of their care visits in under 15 minutes.

Local government umbrella group, the Local Government Association, pointed to a "substantially underfunded" social care service which was putting councillors under increasing pressure.

"Significant cuts to council funding mean local authorities are struggling to meet the rising demand for home care visits," said Katie Hall, chairwoman of the LGA's community and wellbeing board.

She said 15-minute visits "should never be the sole basis for care", but added: "In some circumstances such as administering medication they can be appropriate, but only as part of a wider comprehensive care plan involving longer one-to-one visits."

Leonard Cheshire Disability said a survey of 2,025 people found 93% of those who expressed an opinion agreed 15 minutes was "not long enough to support a disabled or older person to do everyday things like wash, dress and get out of bed in the morning".