Burnham backs a national care service

Andy Burnham has used the opening day of Labour's conference to champion one of his longest-held ambitions: a national care service, run on the same principles as the NHS and free at the point of use.

Speaking in interviews on Sunday, the Prime Minister said the idea was one he had first put forward many years ago. "You have to have a situation where the care system speaks the same language as the health system," he said.

What he is proposing

Mr Burnham wants a universal system of social care that people would not have to pay for when they need it, in the same way that they do not pay to see a GP or go to hospital. At the moment, adult social care in England is means-tested, and many people pay for their own care, sometimes selling their homes to do so.

He has long argued that the NHS and the care system do not work together well enough, leaving people stuck in hospital beds because the care they need at home or in a care home is not ready.

How it would be paid for

Mr Burnham said that everyone would contribute, and that the service would have to be created without placing extra strain on the public finances. He has signalled that it could be funded through new levies, though he did not set out the full details on Sunday. He is expected to say more in his keynote speech on Tuesday.

He also indicated that a change on this scale could not be delivered within Labour's existing manifesto, meaning it would form part of the party's offer at the next general election, due by 2029.

A long-running debate

Reforming social care has defeated governments of all parties for more than two decades. Proposals for a cap on care costs were agreed, delayed and then dropped, and an independent commission led by Baroness Casey was set up in 2025 to look at the future of the system.

Any funding plan is likely to face close scrutiny from economists and opposition parties, especially at a time when the Government is under pressure on tax and borrowing.

Why it matters in Birmingham

Birmingham City Council spends a large share of its budget on adult social care, and thousands of people in the city work in care homes and home care. Any national reform would change how care is organised and paid for in the city.