Prime Minister Andy Burnham is set to deliver a major speech today outlining his plans to reform social care, a move described as “critical” by the Alzheimer’s Society CEO. This follows Mr Burnham’s announcement of a forthcoming cross-party meeting aimed at addressing the ongoing crisis in adult social care. He has pledged to dedicate all his efforts to fixing the strained system.
Both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties have accepted Mr Burnham’s invitation to engage in collaborative talks from the outset. However, Nigel Farage criticised the Prime Minister for not including Reform UK in these discussions. Mr Burnham highlighted a longstanding neglect by successive governments, stating that social care reform in England has been avoided for decades due to being seen as “too risky, too difficult, and too complicated.”
Emphasising the urgency of the situation, Mr Burnham warned of a potential collapse of the NHS if reforms are not made. He promised to invest “whatever political capital I have” into resolving these issues.
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Ahead of his speech in London, Mr Burnham declared that the era of “playing politics” on social care must end, especially as carers struggle, families bear hefty costs, and the NHS faces increasing pressure.
“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 added: “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 social care reform as a pivotal choice between deferring responsibility to the next generation or confronting the challenges directly to build a system that ensures dignity, security, and support for those in need.
Michelle Dyson CB, CEO of Alzheimer’s Society, offered strong support for the Prime Minister’s commitment. She emphasised the critical importance of good-quality care for individuals living with dementia, who often face a fragmented system that imposes severe emotional, practical, and financial burdens on families.
Dementia, Dyson noted, is one of the primary drivers of demand on care services. Effective social care reform must prioritise improving dementia care, leveraging scientific advancements that enable earlier interventions to help people maintain wellbeing for longer.
She said: “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.”
Dyson also underscored the need for swift action, expressing eagerness to collaborate with the Prime Minister on immediate improvements such as dementia training for care workers alongside long-term reforms designed to create a lasting positive impact for those living with dementia now and in the future.