Burnham to bring forward date for Casey Commission to report back with plan on delivery of National Care Service

Setting out a path to “fix social care” in a speech made today (29 July), the Prime Minister warned that social care reform is essential not only for those actively needing support, but also for the long-term future of the NHS.

In 2025, the Government asked Baroness Casey of Blackstock to chair an Independent Commission on Adult Social Care, to recommend how to reform the adult social care system.

In March this year, Casey warned that social care has never had its own “creation moment”, and highlighted the need for a national conversation and six “immediate actions” from Government.

This included asking the Government to scale up dementia trials, appoint a new ‘Dementia Tsar’, set up a new National Safeguarding Board to protect vulnerable adults, and to introduce a new fast-track, social care passport for people diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

In his speech the Prime Minister confirmed that Baroness Casey has now launched the ‘Big Conversation on Care’, to ensure people all over the country can feed in their views.

Meanwhile, he revealed the Health and Social Care Secretary, Yvette Cooper, will chair a new ministerial group to “accelerate the government’s response on social care”, including workforce, system reform and delivery of the Commission’s first recommendations.

The Prime Minister set out the following core principles behind the National Care Service that the government will build: 

• “The system must allow people to move seamlessly between hospitals, home care and community services;
• This service must be fully and sustainably funded;
• The service must start with prevention, supporting people to live independently for longer;
• Citizens’ needs must be at the heart of plans, removing budget battle lines between organisations and making sure local social, primary and community care works together effectively.”

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “I won’t stand by and leave people paying the price for Westminster’s refusal to deal with the real issues facing our country. 

“That’s what’s happened with our broken social care system, which has been left to decline while politicians pass it back and forth.

“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.

“That’s the commitment I am making to people across this country, and I will give it my all in trying.”

Responding to the announcements from the Prime Minister and Baroness Casey on adult social care, Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, Chair of the Local Government Association (LGA), said: “Building the broadest possible cross-party consensus and public support for change will be essential for adult social care reform to get across the line and stand the test of time.

“We share the ambition of the Casey Commission to engage the public on its thinking in its process. Councils’ role as convenors of local people and communities can help maximise input into the Commission’s Big Conversation.

“Across the political spectrum, councils with cross-party convening powers already agree on many of the key challenges and priorities. Local government is more than a stakeholder in this process; it is a partner and the democratic system through which reform will be led. We are ready to play our part in building consensus.”

He continued: “Councils are uniquely placed to bring together the collective working from every part of England, shaping local markets and commissioning services alongside partners in the NHS and voluntary sector.

“We believe the Government should make the case to the public for a national funding solution for adult social care, ensuring any National Care Service strengthens consistency and entitlement, not replaces local democratic leadership.”

Also responding to the announcements, Cllr Glen Sanderson, Adult Social Care and Health Spokesperson for the County Councils Network, said: “The announcement today that the timescales for Baroness Casey’s Independent Commission on Social Care will be shortened is encouraging. Councils need change to happen sooner rather than later, with county and unitary authorities particularly exposed to financial pressures. Left unchecked, county local authorities could be spending £20bn a year on adult social care by the end of this Parliament – with many spending up to three quarters of their commissioning budgets on working-age adults.

“Whatever reform is ultimately proposed, local councils must remain delivering adult social care services. They have proven themselves to adeptly deliver – and modernise – local services despite seeing drastic budget cuts for decades. Councils know their populations and areas best, and efforts to extend community-based care and neighbourhood health will only succeed with them at the helm.”

He continued: “Social care is frequently misunderstood and therefore the start of a ‘Big Conversation’ today with the public is essential. Discussions must now move beyond a narrow debate of who pays care costs for the elderly and instead extend to services used by an increasing number of working-age adults, the role of family carers, the NHS’s role in the system and how reforms will be funded. Cross-party working will be vital here, and the County Councils Network remains committed to playing a collaborative role.”

James Arrowsmith, Partner specialising in social care at law firm Browne Jacobson, said: “Delivering an NHS-style model in adult social care is hugely ambitious but reflects the bold, long-term thinking that is required to put social care on equal footing with healthcare.

“Whatever vision the government may emerge in relation to adult social care must be rooted in reality, however. The sector features a broad range of for-profit and not-for-profit organisations, with various funding models, and the vast majority deliver excellent person-centred care.

“Andy Burnham has already spoken about building political consensus, while the Big Conversation on Care aims to bring the public on board with reforms, but it’s vital the government also engages the sector – including commissioners, providers, investors, staff and service users – to understand what is and isn’t working."

Lottie Winson