Our social care system is in dire need of improvement to bring it in line with the needs of our communities. Every day, unpaid carers make enormous sacrifices to support loved ones. Care workers, despite their dedication and professionalism, often face low pay, workforce shortages and increasing pressures. Families are struggling to navigate a fragmented system that too often leaves them overwhelmed, anxious and facing significant financial burdens.
When people cannot access the care and support they need in their communities, the pressure falls on our NHS. Hospital beds are occupied by people who are medically fit to leave but cannot be discharged because appropriate care packages are unavailable. GPs, community services and hospitals all feel the impact of a system that is simply not working as it should.
The Labour Government is drawing a line under decades of decline and the refusal to tackle these problems head on. Social care reform cannot be kicked into the long grass any longer. That is why the Prime Minister is calling on politicians from all parties to focus on solutions and work together in the national interest.
I am very pleased that the Prime Minister Andy Burnham has asked Baroness Louise Casey to bring forward her report on how to build a National Care Service to summer 2027.
A National Care Service must be accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial situation. It must enable older people to live well and help those in need to thrive in our communities. It must ensure that unpaid carers receive the recognition and support they deserve. And it must tackle the scandal of low pay and exploitation of care workers.
Baroness Casey has launched the Big Conversation on Care to give us the chance to share our views and help shape the future of adult social care in England so that it is designed for the people it is there to serve.
This is an opportunity to create a care system fit for the future. I encourage everyone to take part in the Big Conversation on Care at caseycommission.co.uk/bigconversation and help shape the reforms our country so urgently needs.