Burnham Says Social Care Should Be Fixed Before Assisted Dying Is Debated

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Zuzana Moscakova, Chief Reporter                 Vanesa Zackova, Political Editor

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has stated that restructuring England’s social care system should be prioritised before Parliament debates assisted dying legislation, arguing that vulnerable individuals must first receive excellent care and support. He made the remarks during cross-party discussions following the government’s announcement of plans for a major overhaul of social care.

Speaking after a speech on social care, Burnham said Parliament should not consider assisted dying until both social care and palliative care have significantly improved. He argued that when someone is approaching the end of their life and cannot access the care they need, they should never feel as though they have limited options.

The Prime Minister described England’s current social care system as “broken” and said that previous governments had failed to deliver lasting reform. He outlined three immediate priorities: bringing forward Louise Casey’s independent social care review, improving the pay and working conditions of carers, and encouraging cross-party cooperation to deliver long-term reform.

Louise Casey’s review focuses on strengthening social integration and community cohesion across the United Kingdom, particularly in disadvantaged and isolated communities. It examines how immigration, inequality, and segregation affect opportunities and relationships between different groups. The review recommends improving local services, housing, education, and English language provision to help create stronger, more connected communities.

Burnham also acknowledged that successive governments, including those he had served in, had failed to resolve the social care crisis. He described this as a “major failure of public duty” and pledged to do “everything” possible to build a fairer care system that works more effectively alongside the NHS.

His comments come as supporters of assisted dying continue efforts to reintroduce legislation that would allow terminally ill adults to seek medical assistance to end their lives under strict legal safeguards. Although Burnham did not reject the possibility of future debate, he insisted Parliament should first address shortcomings in social care and end-of-life support.

While the Prime Minister has not announced any specific tax measures, he suggested that reforming social care may require difficult decisions about how the system is funded. However, ministers said they would wait for the outcome of Louise Casey’s review before making long-term funding commitments.

Burnham’s remarks place social care at the centre of the government’s domestic agenda and signal that ministers intend to prioritise improving care services before moving forward with any further assisted dying legislation.

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