Prime Minister Andy Burnham is set to make a major speech today outlining his plans to reform the adult social care system, which has been described as “critical” by the CEO of the Alzheimer’s Society. Ahead of the speech, Mr Burnham announced he will convene a cross-party meeting aimed at tackling the long-standing crisis in social care.
Both the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats have accepted Mr Burnham’s invitation to engage in collaborative efforts from the outset. However, Nigel Farage criticised the Prime Minister for excluding Reform UK from the discussions.
Mr Burnham highlighted that successive governments have neglected social care reform in England for decades, viewing the issue as “too risky, too difficult, and too complicated”. He pledged to dedicate “everything I’ve got” and use “whatever political capital I have” to address the system’s failures, warning that without reform, the NHS is at risk of collapse.
Speaking ahead of his London speech on Wednesday, Mr Burnham stressed that the era of “playing politics” on social care must end, emphasising the human cost of inaction: carers under stress, families bearing financial burdens, and the NHS struggling to cope.
“Last week I said we needed a different kind of politics: problem-solving, not point-scoring. Nowhere is that more urgent than social care,” he said.
He continued: “For decades, governments have kicked this issue down the road because they’ve seen it as too risky, too difficult, and too complicated. Politicians might have different views, but I’m serious about fixing this issue and to do that, we have to find common ground and listen to others to find a way forward.”
Mr Burnham framed the reform challenge as a clear choice: either defer the problem to the next generation or confront it directly by collaborating to create a care system that offers dignity, security, and the support people deserve.
“This is about bringing back hope that we can finally fix the difficult issues that have been ignored for too long, and making Britain believe again. That’s why I’m making this choice and I’m prepared to put everything I’ve got behind it,” he added.
Michelle Dyson CB, CEO of the Alzheimer’s Society, expressed strong support for Mr Burnham’s commitment, highlighting the particular importance of reform for people living with dementia.
“We warmly welcome and support the Prime Minister’s commitment to tackling social care. For people living with dementia, it is critical,” she said. “People living with dementia need good quality care as early as possible, but too often families are left to navigate a fragmented system, bearing huge emotional, practical and financial pressures.”
Dyson also noted that dementia is a leading driver of demand on the care system and stressed the need to build on scientific advances to improve early intervention and support.
“The public is fully behind us on this – our recent polling shows that four out of five people want dementia to be made a national healthcare priority,” she added.
“Urgency is key. We look forward to working with our new Prime Minister on quick wins like dementia training for care workers, alongside longer-term reforms that will leave a lasting legacy for people living with dementia now and in the future.”