The government needs to "grasp the nettle" and "give people that security" by coming forward with reforms to social care, a former health secretary has told Sky News.

Conservative MP Jeremy Hunt, who was in the role from 2012 to 2018, said the public want to know that "whatever life throws at them when they're older...they're going to have that safety net that most people think they should".

He acknowledged the financial cost would be high, as much as £10bn extra a year, but argued shying away from tackling the issue because of the money required is a "false economy".

"Because all that will happen if we allow the social care system to collapse is they will export their most vulnerable patients into hospitals and hospitals will fill up, as I found with winter crisis after winter crisis," he said.

"What we saw in the pandemic, which was hospitals bursting to capacity, that will just become the norm.

"That is actually the most expensive way of looking after people, because a hospital bed costs three times more than a care home bed and a care home bed costs three times more than looking after someone in their own home."

Mr Hunt, who is now chair of the Commons Health and Social Care Committee, said he thought the "willingness" was there and Boris Johnson "wants to find a solution".

He said the government should utilise its 80-seat parliamentary majority and "get on with" fixing social care.

Mr Hunt's comments come after Matt Hancock told Sky News that ministers will deliver a plan for the reform of social care this year.

But he refused to be drawn on whether a key meeting on the issue between him, the prime minister and the chancellor has been postponed.

Mr Hancock said he was "not going to get into diary management" when pressed about whether talks involving him, Mr Johnson and Rishi Sunak have been pushed back.

He did not deny the meeting had been delayed, but said: "I talk to the prime minister every single day and we're working very closely together on the delivery of this policy."

"We absolutely were working on the plan before the pandemic struck," he told Kay Burley.

"But you will understand, and your viewers will undoubtedly understand, that when the pandemic struck it was all hands on deck to protect lives and to get us out of this as fast as possible, and the vaccine is doing that.

"The prime minister has committed to delivering this plan before the end of the year and we're going to do that."

Mr Hancock said the PM has been "absolutely clear" that a plan will be published this year.

"Our commitment is there, in the manifesto, to deliver on social care in this parliament," he said.

The health secretary added: "We will deliver on social care. In terms of the ins and outs of the internal processes, I'm not going to get into that.

"But your viewers can rest assured that we will deliver the plan for the reform of social care that is long overdue."

Mr Johnson said on Monday: "We are pledged to fix it and we must fix it for our country and for our society.

"Social care workers have borne the brunt of the pandemic and we have got to improve it, and we will.

"We will be bringing forward some good plans in due course."

Downing Street has declined to comment on reports about the meeting being postponed, with Mr Johnson's spokesman telling reporters he would not be drawn on "timings for internal meetings in government".

Talks involving other parties on social care reforms would take place once the government has set out its proposals, the spokesman added.

He refused to be drawn on the cost of the reforms or whether people would have to pay more tax to fund them, following reports the changes could cost £10bn a year.

"Reforming and coming up with a long-term solution to social care has been a challenge for many years, we absolutely recognise that," the spokesman said when asked if the government recognised the frustration at the wait.

Labour's Liz Kendall said there had been a "decade of failure" and "the time for Conservative excuses has long passed".

"Ministers must bring forward plans as a matter of urgency, and provide all older and disabled people with the dignity and security they deserve," the shadow minister for social care said.

And social care leaders in England are calling on ministers to act sooner and set out their plans before MPs break up for their summer recess next month.

Leaders of organisations representing adult social care providers have sent a letter to the health secretary, PM and chancellor, telling them the time for change is now.

Immediate funding is required to ensure short-term stability and "avoid serious risks to support" during the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, they say.

The organisations also want the government to set out plans for long-term investment and reform as an immediate priority.