UK social care and health policy

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in health-related research to generate knowledge, insights and technologies, but its application may challenge established ethical principles and human rights protections and create novel risks that existing oversight systems do not fully address.

This paper makes the case for a National Care System supported by a model of social insurance. It establishes a rationale, architecture including funding mechanisms and cost base for implementation.

Patients suffer as nursing is consistently deprioritised against other staff groups

Publication Social security Welfare 16 September, 2026 Benefitting from abroad: international lessons for reforming sickness and disability benefits Read the full report Britain’s welfare system is failing working-age adults with a disability or health condition.

Ethnic minority leadership in the NHS: progression, representation, retention and organisational culture15 September 2026Long readForeword by Dame Donna KinnairAs chair of the NHS Alliance BME Leadership Network, I am privileged to work alongside a strong and committed executive steering group and...

Recommendations from the National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare, which was established to advise government on a future regulatory framework for AI in healthcare.

Complaints about adult social care in England rose by 22% last year, according to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman's (LGSCO) Annual Review of Adult Social Care Complaints 2025-26, published today.

What do cocaine addiction, road crossings and climate change all have in common?

England's social care charging system is unfair, expensive to use and does little to protect the economically insecure. New analysis shows why.

New polling by Opinium for Carers UK finds that one in five workers is now juggling work and care. An estimated 1.1 million people have left employment to care in the past two years - equivalent to 1,500 people every day - while millions more have reduced their working hours.

Extreme heat is becoming one of England’s most significant climate risks. While England has strengthened preparedness through the Adverse Weather and Health Plan (AWHP) and Heat Health Alerts (HHAs), persistent gaps remain in public awareness, risk perception, and behavioural responses to warnings.
This policy brief draws on a mixed-methods study comprising a national survey of 1,097 adults in England and semi-structured interviews with 29 heat risk communicators. The findings reveal a persistent warning–behaviour gap: despite widespread exposure to HHAs, many people did not take protective action because of low perceived risk, poor recognition of alerts, and uncertainty about appropriate responses. Interviews further showed that heat risk communication is primarily focused on institutional coordination and emergency preparedness, with comparatively less emphasis on public engagement, behaviour change, and addressing structural drivers of vulnerability, such as housing conditions and socioeconomic inequalities

NHS transformation failures often follow recognisable patterns. A new report examines the warning signs and what leaders can do to strengthen delivery before programmes falter.