With speculation growing that Andy Burnham could become the UK's next Prime Minister, attention is once again turning to his long-standing ambition to reform health and social care through earlier intervention and prevention.

During his time as Health Secretary, Burnham championed proposals for a National Care Service and consistently argued that helping people stay independent for longer should sit at the heart of social care reform. While successive governments have grappled with the challenge of funding the sector, pressure on families and frontline services has continued to grow.

Today, more than 13,000 people in England remain in hospital despite being medically fit for discharge because appropriate care is not available at home. At the same time, research from Sentai, an intelligent digital assistant for independent living, found that almost half (46%) of people believe neither carers nor those receiving care receive enough support or advice, while one in three people supporting an older relative experiences constant worry when they are not there.

Research has also shown that every £1 invested in preventative social care delivers £3.17 in value, with the potential to generate savings of up to £11.1 billion if adopted at scale across the UK. Meanwhile, more than half (52%) of unpaid carers say they are providing more hours of care than they were a year ago, underlining the growing pressure on families to fill the gaps in an overstretched system.

Commenting, Peter Otto, CEO of Sentai, said: "Andy Burnham has spent much of his political career arguing that Britain needs to stop treating social care as a crisis service and start investing in prevention. If he becomes Prime Minister, there will be a real opportunity to turn that long-held ambition into practical action.

"For too long, social care has only entered the national conversation when the system reaches breaking point. But our research shows families are living with the consequences every day. Almost half of people tell us carers and those receiving care don't have enough support or advice, while one in three people supporting an older relative experiences constant worry when they're not there.

"Whoever becomes Chancellor will inherit difficult decisions about funding public services, but social care cannot be viewed simply as another cost. Preventative support helps people remain independent for longer, improves quality of life and reduces pressure on hospitals, care services and unpaid carers.

"Technology and AI won't solve the social care crisis on their own, but they have an important role to play. From supporting daily routines and identifying changes earlier to reducing unnecessary worry for families, technology can complement traditional care and help people stay safely in their own homes for longer.

"If this renewed political focus on social care leads to greater investment in prevention, earlier intervention and practical support that helps people live independently for longer, it won't just benefit older people. It will benefit families, carers, the NHS and the long-term sustainability of the entire care system."