About this episode

The episode discusses the potential establishment and implications of a National Care Service in the UK.

Millions of people rely on social care every day, but it has long been a service in crisis with soaring demand, workforce shortages and inadequate funding, putting ever greater pressure on council finances. Against this backdrop, the Labour government was elected on a promise to set up a National Care Service. In this episode, acting editor Martin George is joined by former care minister Paul Burstow, who now chairs the Social Care Institute for Excellence, and Andy Harrop, a director at Public First who as general secretary of the Fabian Society wrote a report for the Labour party setting out a roadmap to a National Care Service, to explore what a National Care Service could look like in practice, and how it could change the role of councils.

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