Theresa May has been accused of ducking the “greatest social challenge of our time” by health leaders as she announced she would step down leaving key commitments unfulfilled.

When she took office, the prime minister said she would tackle “burning injustices”, including inequalities in life expectancy and mental health access.

But she has presided over cuts to social care, smoking and obesity services that would help the poorest, which earlier this year one leading doctor called a “recipe for disaster”.

In her speech on Friday Ms May said she had helped give “voice to the voiceless” by delivering additional funding for mental health in the £20.5bn funding increase for the NHS by 2023.

But experts said the welcome increase was needed now and problems of rising demand and major workforce shortages remained unsolved.

Theresa May gets emotional during her resignation Show all 13 1 /13 Theresa May gets emotional during her resignation Theresa May gets emotional during her resignation British Prime Minister Theresa May reacts as she delivers a statement in London, Britain, May 24, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville TOBY MELVILLE Reuters Theresa May gets emotional during her resignation British Prime Minister Theresa May reacts as she delivers a statement in London, Britain, May 24, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville TOBY MELVILLE REUTERS Theresa May gets emotional during her resignation Prime Minister Theresa May making a statement outside at 10 Downing Street in London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday May 24, 2019. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Dominic Lipinski PA Theresa May gets emotional during her resignation British Prime Minister Theresa May reacts as she delivers a statement in London, Britain, May 24, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville TOBY MELVILLE REUTERS Theresa May gets emotional during her resignation Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement outside at 10 Downing Street in London, where she announced she is standing down as Tory party leader on Friday June 7. PA Theresa May gets emotional during her resignation British Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a statement in London, Britain, May 24, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville TOBY MELVILLE REUTERS Theresa May gets emotional during her resignation British Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a statement in London, Britain, May 24, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville TOBY MELVILLE REUTERS Theresa May gets emotional during her resignation British Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement, at Downing Street in London, Britain, May 24, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay HANNAH MCKAY REUTERS Theresa May gets emotional during her resignation Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May announces her resignation outside 10 Downing street in central London on May 24, 2019. - Beleaguered British Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Friday that she will resign on June 7, 2019 following a Conservative Party mutiny over her remaining in power. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP)TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images TOLGA AKMEN AFP/Getty Theresa May gets emotional during her resignation British Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement, at Downing Street in London, Britain, May 24, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay HANNAH MCKAY REUTERS Theresa May gets emotional during her resignation British Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a statement in London, Britain, May 24, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville TOBY MELVILLE REUTERS Theresa May gets emotional during her resignation British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks in the street outside 10 Downing Street in London, England, Friday, May 24, 2019. Theresa May says she'll quit as UK Conservative leader on June 7, sparking contest for Britain's next prime minister. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Alastair Grant AP Theresa May gets emotional during her resignation Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves after announcing her resignation outside 10 Downing street in central London on May 24, 2019. - Beleaguered British Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Friday that she will resign on June 7, 2019 following a Conservative Party mutiny over her remaining in power. (Photo by ISABEL INFANTES / AFP)ISABEL INFANTES/AFP/Getty Images ISABEL INFANTES AFP/Getty Images

“Very little has translated into action or funding at the frontline as yet,” Dr Dominique Thompson, a GP and director at Buzz Consulting which advises on student mental health, told The Independent.

“In terms of the NHS then young adult mental health is a disaster zone, with post code lotteries for care, crisis services and support in some places being almost impossible to achieve even for suicidality.”

Dr Thompson said the move towards mental health support in schools, announced in 2017, was welcome as part of a shift to tackling mental health conditions at an earlier stage.

Reform of the “outdated” Mental Health Act was another achievement praised by mental health charity Mind.

“However, at the same time, we have also seen more changes to the benefits system, resulting in thousands of people with mental health problems struggling to stay afloat,” the charity’s head of policy, Vicki Nash, said.

This has also been echoed for the vulnerable elderly and people with care needs as cash-strapped councils increased red tape for social care in a bid to save money.

The prime minister hastily abandoned her “dementia tax” for funding long-term care in 2017, but despite promising reforms a green paper has been delayed six times so far.

Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the prime minister has “failed to tackle one of the country’s biggest injustices”.

“Thousands of the most vulnerable in our communities are being left without the care and support they need, and millions of family carers are exhausted and at the end of their tether.

“This is the greatest social challenge of our time – the next prime minister cannot duck this tragedy in our midst”.

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Nigel Edwards, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust think tank said there has been no investment in crumbling NHS buildings, outdated IT or public health services aimed at cutting obesity and infectious disease.

“The recent immigration white paper leaves another shadow across the care sector, threatening to worsen staffing problems,” Mr Edwards said.