Andy Burnham’s vision for Labour’s NHS – Whole Person Care, and an Integrated Health and Social Care system

On 14 June, Andy Burnham addressed the Commissioning Show. You probably didn’t see it reported in the media – the NHS is still not news, except when things are going wrong under the stress of cuts and reorganisation.

But his address was worth attention. In it he set out forcefully his – and Labour’s – vision for a fully integrated, 21st-century system of Health and Social Care.

Social Care is a low priority – in government and in the media.
And it’s under even greater threat as a result of cuts in adult social care budgets -since the Coalition came to power in 2010, £1.8 billion has been cut from those budgets, and more cuts are in the pipeline.

The Local Government Association has repeatedly warned about what’s happening, and what will happen in the future.
Local Councils are being overwhelmed by a combination of reducing budgets and increasing demand…