5 things Andy Burnham said as he calls for urgent overhaul of social care system

Andy Burnham has given a speech on the 'urgent' need to fix England's adult social care system – here’s what he said

• Prime minister Andy Burnham spoke passionately about social care, drawing on his personal experience of his father receiving care, and advocating for carers to be among the best-paid in society.
• He criticised politicians for a 'major dereliction of public duty,' stating it is 'shameful' that the social care crisis has remained unresolved for 30 years due to 'point scoring' rather than problem-solving.
• Burnham announced that Baroness Louise Casey's review into social care will be expedited, with a target for completion within one year, to address the urgent challenges facing the sector.
• He stressed that fixing social care is crucial for the NHS, highlighting that the current system leads to two million adults with unmet care needs and 13,600 medically fit patients stuck in hospitals, creating a 'lose-lose' situation.
• The prime minister committed to immediate reforms for the social care workforce, aiming to align carers' wages more closely with NHS standards and improve their training and support, while also initiating cross-party talks to find a lasting solution.