Brown tackles social care

Gordon Brown is speaking on the need to reform the UK's social care system for the elderly today.

The prime minister's comments at the King's Fund come as the government launches a six-month national debate on care and support services throughout the UK.

Mr Brown was speaking before a conference on the opportunities technology offers in transforming patients' experience of the NHS.

He will be hoping he can transform his own political fortunes after a series of damaging revelations at the weekend by Lord Levy, Cherie Blair and former deputy prime minister John Prescott.

According to today's newspapers Mr Brown is preparing a raft of initiatives to fight back against the government's poor poll ratings through the Queen's Speech.