Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England. Responded to Andy Burnham’s speech at the 2026 Labour conference.
“Social care reform has been ducked for decades, and the consequences are now felt every day by people drawing on care, their families, providers and the NHS. Andy Burnham is right to confront an issue that too many governments have found easier to postpone than resolve.
The starting point must be what delivers the best care. Across our membership, providers are united by a focus on quality, choice and outcomes for people, regardless of operating model. Independent providers deliver the vast majority of social care in this country, employ more than a million people and provide essential support that keeps people well, independent and out of hospital.
There is enormous potential in getting reform right. We support broader access, sustainable funding and better outcomes. We also need a system that encourages innovation, makes the best use of public money and recognises the expertise and capacity that already exist across the sector. Reform should be shaped by what works for people, not by ideological preferences for who provides their care.
The ambition and urgency are clear, but so is the timetable. If the National Care Service is to be introduced in the next Parliament, this Parliament must be used to prepare the ground for it.
Baroness Casey’s Commission can help determine the shape of the future system, but government does not need to wait for every detail to be settled before acting. Progress can begin now on commissioning, workforce reform, regulation, NHS integration and the financial sustainability of care.
Care England will continue to work constructively with the Prime Minister and Baroness Casey. Reform must be shaped with the people who receive care and those who deliver it, while strengthening the system now so it is ready for the changes to come.”
Professor Martin Green OBE
Care England CEO
29.09.2026
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