Social care can no longer be seen as a nice to have, we have an ageing population and shortfalls in the system affect everyone.

The reality is that no amount of tinkering with the existing system is going to solve the crisis in social care. This crisis then translates into added pressure on an already overstretched NHS. At the heart of the matter is the need for a properly funded system.

The Health and Social Care Levy, which looked to raise funding through National Insurance, was one of the few compassionate policy proposals from Boris Johnson’s Government that looked to start tackling the social care crisis head on.

It remains a shame that the police was ditched by his successor Liz Truss before it was ever implemented.

The recruitment crisis in the care sector needs to be addressed urgently. This isn’t just about funding, which is desperately needed, but also an issue of perception. Careers need to not only be fulfilling and valued but they also need to be seen to be valued as well.

What we need is a societal shift in the way we view social care. That would see the majority accept the need for a levy. To achieve this there needs to be cross party consensus on actually tackling the crisis in care.

Establishing the NHS wasn’t straightforward by any stretch of the imagination. We must face up the challenges in social care with a similarly bold vision and establish a national care service.

Does the Conservative Government want to own a legacy of fixing social care or does it want to leave it to the Opposition?

The Government needs a bold approach to social care and create a national care service - The Yorkshire Post says