UK PM sets out plans to accelerate creation of new National Care Service

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Wednesday used a visit to a social care centre in London to set out plans to accelerate the creation of a new National Care Service, along the lines of the state-funded National Health Service (NHS). 

With his elderly father battling with Alzheimer’s disease, this latest agenda is seen as very personal for the new Labour leader who took charge at 10 Downing Street last week. Burnham has also called a cross-party summit with Opposition party leaders over the issue, highlighting his collaborative approach as being focused on “problem solving rather than political point scoring”. “I just don’t accept that this problem is too big to solve. What we need is a new way of doing politics where we come together, face the challenge head-on and build an integrated system that gives people security and dignity,” said Burnham. 

On a personal note, he said: “When someone in your family is receiving care... you notice things you maybe didn’t notice before because you watch it so closely and so carefully.  “I’ve just been really overwhelmed by their care, the skill in what they do, the professionalism. It really is incredible and it’s humbling to watch them caring for someone else’s dad, someone else’s mum. To me, they should be the best-paid people in society, not the worst.”  The UK PM confirmed that he would bring forward the date for a commission set up to review the social care sector for the country’s ageing population to report back with a plan on how to deliver a National Care Service by next year. 

“Too many older and disabled people are being let down by a broken system, while millions of unpaid carers shoulder an enormous burden every day. When social care fails, it affects people’s independence, families’ lives and communities across the country,” said UK Health and Care Secretary Yvette Cooper. The Burnham-led government wants an immediate focus on boosting the social care workforce, integrating it with NHS workers, and creating routes for progression, better pay, training and job security. 

Led by Baroness Louise Casey, a so-called ‘Big Conversation on Care’ consultation will invite people from across the UK to feed in their views on improving the system. Open to everyone through a new online platform, it will ask people to share their thoughts on the values and principles they expect from a care system, as well as some of the tough questions around fairness and funding.