PM warns NHS ‘will collapse’ without social care reform

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has warned that the NHS will “collapse” unless the government delivers significant reform of England’s adult social care system, describing the issue as one of the biggest challenges facing his new administration.

In his first major interview since becoming Prime Minister, Burnham said he was determined to make “substantial change” to social care before leaving office, although he declined to commit to a timetable for introducing reforms.

Speaking about the relationship between health and social care, Burnham said the NHS would continue to struggle if patients remained in hospital because appropriate social care support was unavailable. He said the health service would never return to acceptable waiting time standards without addressing long-standing problems in the care sector, adding that the NHS would “collapse under the weight” of caring for people who should instead be supported through social care services.

The Prime Minister also said he intended to use “whatever political capital” he has to reform the system, while acknowledging that creating a sustainable model for adult social care would take time.

The comments come as Baroness Casey continues her independent review into adult social care. Burnham has indicated he wants the review to progress more quickly than originally planned, with ministers exploring options to develop a long-term funding and delivery model.

The King’s Fund welcomed the Prime Minister’s recognition of the challenges facing social care, saying decades of delayed reform have placed increasing pressure on both care services and the NHS, particularly through delayed hospital discharges and rising demand for community-based support.

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