The NHS will collapse without social care system reform, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said.

Burnham told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg he could not commit to creating a new social care system before the next election, however.

He said: ‘I will go as quickly as I can on the reform of social care. I think there are major changes you can make before the next election. This costs the NHS billions of pounds, and we will never get the NHS back to good waiting time standards until we fix social care.'

Baroness Casey's review of social care is due to submit its final report by 2028 but the PM has said he wants the process to complete this year.

He added: ‘Whatever political capital I have, I will put in to fixing broken social care, and I would not want to leave office without having brought … substantial change … I can't put a timeline on it right here, right now. If we don't do it, the NHS will collapse under the weight of trying to care for people who've not really needed to end up in the NHS system.

Leader of the Conservatives, Kemi Badenoch, has, meanwhile, written to the Prime Minister telling him not to raise taxes for social care.

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Sarah Woolnough, chief executive at The King's Fund, said: ‘It's true that an underfunded social care system places significant strain on the NHS, with many people stuck in hospital longer than they need to be waiting for care. And too many people end up using NHS services when they would be better served at home or in residential care if the support was available. However, social care is about far more than relieving pressure on the NHS or reducing delayed discharges. At its heart, it is about helping people live independently and with dignity.'

Nuffield Trust deputy director of policy, Natasha Curry, said: ‘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.'

Lee Peart is editor of Hemming Group’s Healthcare Management magazine.