UNISON has called for “bold moves” to reform social care ahead of the final report from Labour’s new commission on the sector.

The union’s intervention today came after the author of the previous inquiry said it was “bleedin’ obvious” that changes were needed.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced last week that the independent commission will begin in April. Its second phase, making long-term recommendations, won’t report until 2028.

Sir Andrew Dilnot said that it was “completely unnecessary” to wait until 2028 to decide what to do and urged Prime Minister Sir Keir not to “hide behind waiting until everybody has agreed” because he leads a government with a “very, very large majority” in Parliament.

He said it is “perfectly feasible” for the government to set out by the end of this year what it is going to do.

Sir Andrew warned that the commission was due to take an “inappropriate length of time” and report too close to an election, with a decision on a major issue like this “ideally is made in the first half of a parliament because otherwise events get in the way.”

Responding to his plea in the Commons, Sir Keir said he wanted “cross-party consensus” on the issue, but did not commit to a new timetable for the commission.

Unison head of social care Gavin Edwards said: “The changes required in social care are so huge it’s obvious the promised national care service was never going to happen overnight.”

He welcomed ministers for bringing employers and unions together to negotiate the first ever fair pay agreement in care, saying: “Enhanced hourly rates will help ease the acute staffing crisis causing so many problems across the entire English care sector.

“But time is of the essence, a commission that takes years to report is in no-one’s interests. This government must get to grips with social care reform where previous administrations failed. And this is an issue all parties must get behind. 

“None of us know when we or one of our relatives might need social care.

“The current system is failing many. But bold moves in the next few years could set in motion the wholesale changes that result in a national care service that can transform lives and grow the economy.

“This is something that should have happened a long time ago.”