SOCIAL care needs its "Nye Bevan moment" to create a national system similar to the NHS, it has been claimed.

Leaders from the care industry are calling for the Government to tackle the crisis in the sector.

Politicians have been promising reform for more than two decades, but further calls are now being made in light of the pandemic, which has been described as "catastrophic" for some providers.

The Independent Care Group (ICG), a North Yorkshire-based provider organisation says extra funding would tackle the crisis in care and a national care system is needed.

ICG chairman Mike Padgham has called for Chancellor Rishi Sunak to tackle the issue in yesterday's budget and said he had missed a "golden opportunity".

He said: "This sector has been struggling for two decades or more. It’s overdue for reform. The pandemic has shown a bit more why it is needed.

"If there was something positive that comes out of this its that it might speed it up.

He added: "I think we need to get big and radical. We need a Nye Bevan moment. We need something as radical as 1948 was to the NHS.

"We need to be doing something similar and have a national care service. I would like to see something on a similar basis to the NHS, funded through national insurance or tax.

"Nothing is free but it would spread it across the population. Some people may never need social care or health services but everyone pays for it for the benefit of others."

The ICG is calling on the Government to carry out "root and branch reform" of the sector to bring it and the staff who work in it parity with NHS care.

It wants to see health and social care merged and managed either locally or nationally, extra funding for social care, funded by taxation or national insurance, a properly costed national rate for care fees and a proper salary and career pathway to recognise and reward social care staff.

Trade union Unison is also campaigning for a national care service, including giving carers higher wages, a standard employment contract, professional registration and significant emergency government funding.

Regional secretary Clare Williams said: "We need a proper national strategy.

"It has to be valued and it needs proper funding.

"The global pandemic has highlighted this is a skilled workforce. When people are delivering day to day personal care we need a completely different approach."

Rachel Harrison, GMB national officer, has also called for immediate action.

She said: "Never before has a properly-funded national care service been so important.”

The Government has said it intends to put forward proposals to improve adult social care this year.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "Delivering a care system that is fit for the future remains a top priority and, following new measures set out in the Health and Care Bill White Paper, we will bring forward proposals for social care reform later this year.”