"Transformational" vs "cautious": Sheffield councillors clash over Burnham's announcement of a National Care Service
Could a National Care Service be a “missing piece”, or is 2030 too late?
In the wake of Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s speech at Labour Party conference on 29 September, Sheffield councillors reflect on what his announcements could mean for social care in Sheffield.
Andy Burnham announced a free at the point of use ‘National Care Service’, what he called “landmark policy as significant as the creation of the NHS itself”.
The care service would be “fully funded”, partly through adjusting pensions from April 2030, intended to protect people’s homes and their savings.
He said the groundwork for this no-charge care service would be laid now, and introduced in the next Parliament.
The PM said: “Some may not realise it, but older people with nothing more than the state pension, or only a little more, can find themselves paying care charges today from that small income. Under my plan, this will no longer happen.”
Mr Burnham said he "watched closely" the people who looked after his dad Roy, who passed away earlier this month from Alzheimer's.
"Caring for other people’s parents on poverty pay, but doing it with huge skill, humour and humanity.
"I thank you. And I am sorry that my profession has let down yours for so long."
Labour councillor Ruth Milsom, group spokesperson of Sheffield City Council’s adult health and social care policy committee, said Burnham’s announcements on social care are “absolutely transformational”.
She said: “For decades, politicians of all stripes have looked at our collapsing social care system, admitted it was broken, and then walked away because they lacked the stomach for the fight.
“In Sheffield, despite the heroic efforts of our underpaid care professionals, we see the daily reality of what a threadbare system does to our most vulnerable residents and our overstretched NHS.”
She said a National Care Service is the “missing piece” of the welfare state and to “build a system where everyone contributes and everyone is covered, gives me profound hope.”
Coun Milsom’s sentiments come just a few days after she led a motion to build a better social care system at a full council meeting.
The motion, passed at full council on 23 September 2026, involved cross-party consensus on social care reform, endorsed UNISON’s campaign for changes to the current health and social care visa scheme, and expressed concern over the financial impact costs being transferred from the NHS to councils.
Another group spokesperson of the council’s social care committee is Liberal Democrat councillor Sophie Crossthorn.
She said: “Andy Burnham’s sentiment is welcome, but families struggling with the broken social care system can’t wait until after another election.
“My worry is this is the same cautious Starmer politics in slick new packaging. Burnham has given a lot of talk about what he’d do after the next election, but Labour are in power right now and people want to see action.
“The Institute for Fiscal Studies have said that raiding pensions would only provide small sums towards a national care service.”
She shared that the Liberal Democrat tests for reforms to end the social care crisis include guaranteed rights for every carer, free personal care and protection for people's finances from being devastated by care needs.
“We have ongoing social care cross-party talks in Parliament at the moment,” she added. “Burnham needs to give these his full attention for the best chance of success to fix the problem now, rather than promising things after an election down the road.”
Green councillor Douglas Johnson, member of the Sheffield Health and Wellbeing Board also shared concerns about the delay in delivering important care reforms.
He said: “The speech from Andy Burnham, talking positively about proportional representation, a National Care Service and the possibility of rejoining the EU, is welcome.
“But why are we going to have to wait at least three years before we see any action? Labour has one of the biggest majorities it has ever had and it is risking progress on these important issues by not taking action now, two years after they were kicked down the line after the 2024 general election.
“Local councils like Sheffield remain underfunded with ongoing pressure on vital adult health and children's care services. So austerity has not gone away under Labour or with a new Prime Minister."
He was also concerned about the "lack of progress on action on climate change" in Burnham's speech.