Doctor explains Andy Burnham's decision 'to fix social care not NHS' and why it's so important

Doctor explains Andy Burnham's decision 'to fix social care not NHS' and why it's so important The Prime Minister has outlined plans to prioritise 'fixing' social care at the British taxpayer's defence, prompting a doctor to explain why this stance is 'so important' A doctor has leapt to the defence of Andy Burnham after the Prime Minister declared his intention to fix social care over the NHS in a move that will cost the taxpayer. On Saturday (September 26), the Prime Minister revealed he will fight the next election on radical plans to introduce an NHS-style social care system - and hike taxes to help pay for it. Mr Burnham previously explained to the Sunday Mirror how his own experiences had contributed to his stance. The PM said it was painful to see the same failures that impacted his grandmother 25 years ago when his dad Roy needed care as he battled Alzheimer’s disease. Mr Burnham senior, who had been living in a care home, died earlier this month aged 86. Now, Dr Michael Trueman has explained why the PM's decision it "so important". "One of my biggest takeaways from working for the NHS was the lack of social care actually undermines the whole system," he said. Dr Trueman elaborated: "People with care needs who have been treated in hospital need a safe place to be discharged to - you can't just discharge somebody if there isn't somewhere appropriate for them to stay." He went on: "All of that care comes from the social care system and this is a huge problem in England. There are two million older adults right now who have unmet care needs in the community - so there's a massive, massive need for good social care." However, without this, Dr Trueman pointed out that without adequate care in the community, patients have to stay in the hospital, which results in what is known as "bed blocking". "That means that patients who come through A&E can't move up to the appropriate ward... that means they stay in A&E... that means the people in the waiting rooms stay in the waiting rooms... and the people in the ambulances stay in them," he continued. "And that leads to terrible things." Dr Trueman summarised by backing Mr Burnham: "So if you can fix social care, it means the people who are fit for discharge can leave the hospital immediately, people in A&E can move up to the ward for appropriate treatment [and so on]. It would be a far more efficient system that works in a much safer manner." Speaking as Labour's annual conference got underway in Liverpool on September 24, Mr Burnham told the BBC: "I am talking about a system that works on NHS principles because that is the only way you can make it work. There is free personal care elsewhere in the UK. I don't think it's right that people in England don't get the same and it's not something we're going to rush." The PM is expected to spell out more details of his plan, which is being developed alongside a review by Baroness Louise Casey, in his speech to Labour conference on Tuesday, including a timetable for rolling it out. Mr Burnham hopes to put the plans "clearly" to voters at the ballot box, in the hope of neutralising political opposition to the thorny issue of funding social care. "I am prepared to put myself in that position, recognising that it might be difficult or unpopular with some," he admitted. Meanwhile, he rejected an estimate by the Health Foundation that free care in England could cost taxpayers £18bn a year, adding: "It's not that high." The PM argued people were paying the price already, through a system in England where people with savings worth more than £23,250 are not entitled to help with care costs from their council.