NHS 'will collapse' without social care reform, PM tells BBC

NHS 'will collapse' without social care reform, PM tells BBCTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.This video can not be playedFigure caption, Burnham promises 'substantial change' to social careByLaura KuenssbergSunday with Laura KuenssbergPublishedJust nowAndy Burnham has told the BBC "the NHS will collapse" if social care is not reformed but he said he could not put a timeline on changes.In his first major interview since becoming prime minister, Burnham said he would not want to leave office without bringing in "substantial change" to the social care system.The prime minister also suggested making it harder to claim benefits, saying the country had to get serious about getting the welfare bill down.Kemi Badenoch has meanwhile written to the prime minister, saying he should rule out tax rises or increased borrowing to fund social care reform.In his interview with the BBC, Burnham said if the government did not reform social care, the NHS would "collapse under the weight of trying to care for people who've really not needed to end up in the NHS system."But pressed on whether he would create a new system before the next election, he said he "couldn't put a timeline on it right here, right now", though he would put "whatever political capital I have into fixing broken social care".Burnham first proposed a universal system of social care in England in 2009 when he was health secretary under Gordon Brown.Now as prime minister he is due to make a speech on adult social care on Wednesday.The BBC understands the PM will stop short of unveiling plans for a new system in this speech, instead announcing he is speeding up the Casey Commission, an independent review which has been considering possible solutions for social care.Currently Baroness Louise Casey is not expected to give her final recommendations until 2028, but Burnham wants to bring her schedule forward.He to...