British Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged to revamp the nation’s social care structure in an effort to reduce pressure on the beleaguered National Health Service (NHS), during an interview broadcast on Monday.

Unlike the publicly funded NHS, which continues to struggle under the weight of extended waiting lists and depleted resources, social care provisions for Britain's elderly and disabled residents remain largely privatized.

Speaking to the BBC one week after assuming office, Burnham underscored his determination to address the issue. "Whatever political capital I have, I will put into fixing broken social care and I would not want to leave office without having brought in the substantial change," he said.

Burnham’s commitment to restructuring the sector is tied to personal experience, as his father lives with Alzheimer's.

He has advocated for social care reform for many years, including during his tenure as health secretary under Gordon Brown from 2009 to 2010.

During that period, he proposed creating a publicly funded National Care Service that would be free at the point of delivery similar to the NHS, though those plans ultimately collapsed.

Reflecting on the path forward, Burnham remarked, "I will go as quickly as I can on the reform of social care." He admitted that establishing a replacement model would "take time," but insisted he still intends to secure "substantial change" during his term in office.

Presently, access to home and residential care remains means-tested, leaving local authorities—who bear responsibility for administering these services—unable to keep pace with the growing demands of an aging demographic.

This shortfall creates a severe ripple effect across the NHS, where persistent shortages of beds and personnel are driven in part by the inability to discharge elderly and dependent patients who lack necessary social care arrangements.

In addition to health reforms, the prime minister acknowledged the necessity of reining in the country's expanding welfare bill, suggesting that access to benefits should carry tighter conditions to incentivize individuals to re-enter the labor market.

"It's about changing the nature of the support and making some of the support conditional upon people taking opportunities that are presented in front of them," Burnham explained.

Burnham's predecessor, Keir Starmer, had previously attempted to restructure the welfare system, but was compelled to scale back his plans after encountering strong opposition from within his own party ranks.

Source: AFP