Press coverage

Commenting on statistics from the ONS showing the highest year-to-year increase in deaths of homeless people, Dr Luke Heselwood, Senior Reform Researcher, said:

“These tragic figures show that the Government’s policies to tackle homelessness are failing.

“One year on from the flagship Homelessness Reduction Act and the Rough Sleeping Strategy, which were meant to bolster efforts to prevent homelessness, the number of people dying on our streets should not be on the rise.

“Short-term, hand-to-mouth funding for local services has inhibited councils' efforts to implement this legislation and prevent those at risk from becoming homeless. Long-term sustainable funding for these services is a must to reverse this terrible trend.” 

Featured in The Times, The Independent, The Daily Mail and LocalGov.

Charlotte Pickles, Director of Reform, appeared on Politics Live to discuss the latest policy news. 

Watch it back here.

Eleonora Harwich, Director of Research and Head of Tech Innovation at Reform was featured in Public Technology in an article on bias in data and AI systems. 

Read it here.

Commenting on Jeremy Corbyn's welfare reform pledges, Reform think tank Director and former Expert Advisor to the Rt Hon Ian Duncan-Smith MP, Charlotte Pickles, said: 

"Jeremy Corbyn’s welfare pledges will cost billions and undermine the fundamental principle of a ‘something for something’ welfare state. 

"There is no doubt that some benefits should be more generous to ensure people get the support they need, but the public expect the welfare system to have basic checks and balances. They also expect those who can work do so. Ending all sanctions and scrapping the Work Capability Assessment undermines this.

"A ‘something for nothing’ welfare state not only alienates taxpayers, but also traps claimants on benefits. Labour should think again." 

Covered by various outlets. 

On the Shadow Chancellor’s confirmation that Labour will end Universal Credit, Charlotte Pickles, Director of Reform think tank, said:

“Scrapping Universal Credit is a regressive step.

“Labour’s stance would waste the £2 billion so far spent on setting up the benefit. And yet another complicated redesign would create further instability for claimants.

“Universal Credit needs reform, but just like abolishing Ofsted or renationalising all local public services, it’s an ideological stunt not a serious attempt to improve lives.”

On Labour’s free personal care plan, Reform health lead, Claudia Martinez, said:

"Labour’s free personal care plan is not a sustainable solution to our social care crisis.

“The Shadow Chancellor contradicted himself by claiming ‘fair taxation’ will fund his proposals. Younger taxpayers, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet, are being asked to fund the care of wealthier pensioners. That is anything but fair.

“Our social care system does need more funding. But this should come from an insurance-based system where people save to fund their future care costs.”

Eleonora Harwich, Director of Research and Head of Tech Innovation at Reform was featured in SheCanCode's blog post about pursuing a career in tech. 

Read here.

On Tuesday 11 December, Reform launched its report, Making NHS data work for everyone. The report was covered by The Times, PharmaTimes, Health Service Journal, Public Technology, OnMedica, Practice Business, Hapia, The Kings Fund, Healthcare Leader, Healthwatch York, UK Authority, Future Care Capital, and the BMJ. Most recently, it was mentioned in the Sunday Times. 

The report was referenced in the Department of Health and Social Care's publication, Code of Conduct for data-driven health and care technology. 

It has also been covered globally in Russia, Canada and NYU's Living Library. 

The latest mention was on the 18th of September 2019, in BMJ Journals, in the article 'From EHR to PHR: let’s get the record straight', by Joshua D Symons, Hutan Ashrafian, Rachel Dunscombe and Ara Darzi.

On Thursday 11 January 2018, Reform launched its report, Thinking on its own: AI in the NHS. The report was covered in a range of different publications including The Independent, The Register, Computer Weekly, UK Authority, Pulse Today, Government Computing, Science Business, The British Journal of Healthcare Computing, IT Pro, CBR Government, The Public Purse, Gizmodo, Digital by Default News, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, The King’s Fund, Think Digital Partners, Cloud Pro, Cognition X, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Digital Health, Data IQ, AI Vexo, Machine Learning, Pharmafield, In Focus, Telecare LIN, The Robotics Law Journal, Evidence in Mind, ZPB, Royal College of Nursing, Healthy London Partnership, Essex LPC, Health Estates and Facilities Management Association, Primary Care Commissioning Community Interest Company, LinkedIn, Outcomes Based Healthcare, Internet of Business, Government Computing, Older People’s Commission for Wales, Open Mind, British Journal of Healthcare Computing, Health and Social care.ai, Healthcare News, Lord Darzi’s report: Better health and care for all: a 10 point plan for the 2020s, Barclays, The Register, Nuffield Bioethics, Good Governance Institute, Microsoft, GovTech Leaders, ITPro, The Royal Society, Knowledge Brief, Oxford Insights, Frontline (physiotherapy magazine for CSP members), The Medic Portal, Pharma Times, DKV (Deep Knowledge Ventures), Breathe News, Hall and Partners and the Alan Turing Institute's new report on understanding AI. The Mayor of London's report on AI and PwC's report on AI in healthcare also features the report. The NHS Topol Review features the report, as well as the BMA report on doctors' vision for the future and on doctors’ vision for change in the NHS. The House of Commons Library debate pack on the involvement of patients in the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare also cites the report. 

The report was featured in the International Journal of Law and Information Technology in an article written by Daniel Schönberger. It was featured in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, in an article authored by Shaw, Rudzicz, Jamieson and Goldfarb. It was also featured in Digital Health, in an article by Tom Nadarzynski, Oliver Miles, Aimee Cowie and Damien Ridge.

Global coverage includes Elecfans in China, DigiNews in Taiwan, in Russia (here, here and here), AI Policy Labs in the USA, Ministry of Health library in New Zealand, Quebec Newsletter and the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health in Canada, E-health Research in Norway, in Australia, in California, in Spain and in France by the Haute Autorité de Santé. It was also mentioned in the World Health Organization's report on digitizing national health systems in Europe. Reform‘s report is specifically mentioned on pg 23 -4, along with a mention for Eleonora Harwich, Director of Research and Head of Digital and Tech Innovation specifically.

Reading lists that mention the report include Keyah Consulting, Wilton Park, IBM Watson Health and the Kent Surrey Sussex AHSN’s recent report.

Sofa-surfing and post-code lottery in quality of support both factors 

The decline in young people (16-24) seeking support from councils for homelessness, does not account for those who don’t go to local housing services for help.

Statistics published today (Tuesday 17.9.19) show a 29% decrease since 2012/13. 25 per cent of households looking for support were 16 – 24 years old. 

Research by the think tank has previously found that young people go to their local authority once “they have exhausted every friend,” often relying on informal support, such as sofa-surfing.

Commenting on the Office for National Statistics report on UK homelessness from 2005-2018, Imogen Farhan, co-author of Reform’s youth homelessness research, said:

“The drop in young people seeking help for homelessness should be treated with caution. Reform research found that young people in crisis tend to look for a friend with a spare sofa rather than their local council’s housing service.

“There is also a post-code lottery in the ability of local services, such as A&E departments and Jobcentre Plus, to accurately refer young people they encounter who are at risk of homelessness to local housing services.

“These cracks are too big to be papered over. Homelessness prevention need sustainable funding – not more inefficient, short-term pots of cash.”

Covered by the Independent.