Nuffield Trust response to Prime Minister's comment that "NHS will collapse" without social care reform

Responding to Andy Burnham's statement that the "NHS will collapse" if social care is not reformed, Nuffield Trust Deputy Director of Policy Natasha Curry said: 

"It is right to recognise that the NHS and social care are deeply interconnected, but the case for fixing social care extends far beyond protecting the NHS. There is a moral imperative to ensure older and disabled people can live independently with dignity, and a compelling economic case too. Millions of people have unmet care needs, while unpaid carers and disabled adults are too often prevented from working, participating in their communities and planning for their futures because the support they need simply isn't there.

"Better social care would undoubtedly help some patients leave hospital more quickly, but we should avoid suggesting that fixing social care alone will fix the NHS. Delayed discharges have multiple causes, and the bigger prize is preventing more people from reaching hospital in the first place by ensuring they receive the care and support they need to stay healthy and independent."