NHS 'will collapse' without social care reform, PM tells BBC
BBC News 2026-07-27 08:19:08
Context: Prime Minister Andy Burnham has warned that the NHS will collapse if social care is not reformed, stating that the current system is unsustainable and that he will use his political capital to bring about "substantial change". Burnham's comments come as he faces pressure from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to rule out tax rises or increased borrowing to fund social care reform. The issue has been a longstanding challenge for successive governments, with Burnham previously proposing a universal system of social care in England.
Key Facts
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham has stated that the NHS will "collapse under the weight of trying to care for people who've really not needed to end up in the NHS system" if social care is not reformed.
- Burnham first proposed a universal system of social care in England in 2009 when he was health secretary under Gordon Brown, and a year later pursued the idea of a compulsory levy to fund it.
- In England and Northern Ireland, people with savings worth more than £23,250 are not entitled to help with care costs from their council, while different rules apply in terms of eligibility in Wales and Scotland.
- Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of healthcare think tank the King's Fund, has stated that the current "punitive system" means that "quite a lot of people go without care that they need", with one in seven paying in excess of £100,000 for social care.
- Burnham has suggested making it harder to claim benefits, saying the country has to get serious about getting the welfare bill down, and that he might "increase the conditions on people required to receive benefits".