CARE providers in North Yorkshire have joined the county council in thanking frontline social care workers for their "amazing efforts" fighting Covid-19 during the pandemic.

Mike Padgham, chair of the Independent Care Group (ICG) teamed up with Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, to record a video of thanks for all social care workers.

It is part of efforts to recognise the "heroic" effort social care staff have made ahead of NHS, Social Care & Frontline Workers' Day on July 5.

Mr Padgham said: “In thirty-plus years in social care I have never known a period like the past 15 months and the efforts of our frontline social care staff have been amazing.

“Providing care for someone else is the greatest role of all, but doing so in the midst of a cruel and unrelenting pandemic takes it to a higher level.

“Our amazing staff, here in North Yorkshire and across the country, have selflessly put their own health and safety to one side to care for others, day in and day out. It has been physically hard, emotionally draining and a heroic effort.

“I look forward to Monday July 5 when the country comes together to loudly and publicly thank our social care staff and other NHS and frontline workers for all that they have done this past 15 months. They richly deserve that recognition.

“And looking further ahead we hope that July 5 – chosen to mark the day the NHS was founded - can be a landmark day when social care reform is announced and we can begin to rebuild a sector that has been devastated by years of neglect and under-funding and ravaged by this dreadful pandemic.”