Prime Minister Andy Burnham has set out a commitment to reform social care, saying the system must provide dignity, security and support when people need it.
Speaking at a care home, the Prime Minister said the issue required political will and a different approach from Westminster. He said parties should put differences aside and focus on solving problems rather than political point scoring.
The government said social care reform was essential for people who need support and for the long-term future of the NHS. It said failure to tackle the system had added pressure to NHS services, with thousands of people remaining in hospital beds despite being medically fit to leave, including some cases linked to a lack of adult social care capacity.
The statement said delayed discharges had contributed to hospital capacity pressures and corridor care. It also cited figures showing A&E attendances by people aged over 65 rising from 3.3 million in 2011/12 to 5.8 million in 2024/25.
The government said cuts to social care funding between 2010 and 2018 were estimated to have led to an additional half a million A&E attendances a year for people aged 65 and over. It presented reform as a way to ease pressure on hospitals as well as improve care.
Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said older and disabled people were being let down and that unpaid carers were carrying a major burden. She said health and social care needed to work together, with demand rising and more people relying on support to live independently.
The Prime Minister outlined a new approach focused on social care workforce reform, integration with the NHS and cross-party working. The government said it would immediately focus on lifting up the social care workforce and tackling deep-rooted problems in the system.