Labour MP Jonathan Brash has backed a National Care Service, making the case that people should receive support according to their needs rather than their financial circumstances.
The Labour MP for Hartlepool highlighted the consequences of unavailable care at home, arguing that delayed hospital discharges harm patients and place costly pressure on the health service.
Brash: ‘care should be based on need, not ability to pay’
“We need a National Care Service, free at the point of need,” Brash wrote.
“Tough choices, but care should be based on need, not ability to pay.”
His intervention follows Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s Labour Party Conference pledge to build a National Care Service, with preparations beginning in this parliament and introduction planned for the next.
In his speech on 29 September, Burnham outlined a service centred on high-quality care, beginning in the home and free at the point of use. He said Louise Casey’s review would advise on its design and that the service would be fully funded without borrowing.
Delayed discharges
Brash’s argument connects that ambition to the immediate challenge of helping patients leave hospital safely when they no longer need inpatient treatment.
A parliamentary answer published on 9 September confirms that discharge delays have several causes, including shortages across adult social care, community health services and housing, as well as delays in hospital processes and arranging onward care. Social care is therefore an important part of the problem, alongside other pressures.
NHS England has also highlighted work bringing health, social care and community partners together to support patients returning home safely ahead of winter.
The proposed National Care Service remains a reform to be developed and delivered. Brash’s message sets out the principle he wants at its heart: “CARE SHOULD BE THERE WHEN YOU NEED IT.”
