Andy Burnham pledges to resolve England's adult social care crisis with a new national service, better worker pay/training, and NHS integration, acknowledging potential tax rises as a funding option.
Louise Casey, head of the UK's adult social care commission, criticizes the outdated social care system for heavily relying on unpaid carers, mostly women, leading to enormous emotional burdens and unsustainable pressures.
A woman's husband died a week after finally receiving full-time care, highlighting England's adult social care crisis. Kirsty Parsons cared for her husband Jim for 11 years after his Parkinson's diagnosis at age 44, giving up her job and fighting for support. He died in December 2025, a week after getting full-time care. Official figures show 372,000 adults in England were waiting to access social care as of March 2025, with experts warning the system remains broken and underfunded.
Kirsty Parsons became an unpaid carer for her husband Jim after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at age 44. She fought for 11 years to get additional support as his condition worsened, waiting 5-6 months each time she applied for increased care through Trafford Council. Jim finally received full-time care in December 2025 but died a week later. The article highlights broader issues with England's adult social care system, where 372,000 adults were still waiting to access care as of March 2025, despite councils spending about 40% of their net service budget on adult social care.
