Press coverage

On 16 August 2018, Reform published a report on the potential of data sharing to transform the delivery of public services. Media coverage included: The Telegraph, Public Technology, Civil Service World, UK Authority, The Register, Out-Law.com, Holyrood, Government Europa, Smart Cities World, GovLab and the Royal Society. 

The report was referenced by the Office for Statistics Regulation,the Better Care Fund and the Children's Commissioner.

The report was also referenced in a report on digital government by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee. 

It also received international coverage including in Italy.

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. 

The report was featured in the International Journal of Law and Information Technology in an article written by Daniel Schönberger. It was also featured in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, in an article authored by Shaw, Rudzicz, Jamieson and Goldfarb.

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 and in California. 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.

Commenting on statistics published today by the Ministry of Justice, Director of the Reform think tank Charlotte Pickles, said:

“These figures continue to show unacceptably high levels of violence and self-harm in our prisons.

Our new Prime Minister has presented himself as tough on crime. But the most effective way to cut crime is to reduce reoffending. That means investing in prison safety and rehabilitation to help offenders turn their lives around.

It also means keeping prison as a last resort. Reoffending costs society £18bn a year. It would be a grave and costly mistake to not proceed with David Gauke’s proposal to scrap short-term prison sentences, which exacerbate reoffending.”

This was covered in the Financial Times,  Public Finance and OZY.  

Josh Pritchard, Researcher at Reform, was quoted in an article by Public Finance about Labour's outsourcing proposals. He argued that Labour's proposed "insourcing revolution" is largely redundant and fails to address key concerns about job losses and cost effectiveness.

Read the full article here. 

Charlotte Pickles, Director of Reform, appeared on Politics Live to discuss the latest policy news including No-Deal Brexit developments and apprenticeships.   

Commenting on the 8% increase in knife crime offences, Director of the Reform think tank Charlotte Pickles, said:

“The continuing rise in knife crime is tragic, but not surprising. Until politicians take seriously the need to invest in prevention alongside enforcement, more young people will continue to die on our cities’ streets.

Any increases in police numbers must be targeted and coupled with serious investment to tackle the lethal mix of poverty, school exclusion, poor mental health and drugs. It’s astonishing that both Tory leadership candidates think that pledging thousands more bobbies is enough.” 

Data also published today shows that fewer than one in 10 crimes result in a charge.

The think tank is calling for a portion of the resources being promised to the police by Tory leadership candidates to be spent on back-office support, analysts and bolstering digital forensics capabilities to improve outcomes. It argues that more officers should only be deployed to specific high crime areas.

Covered by BBC News, The Independent, The Mirror and The Express, among other publications. Charlotte was also quoted in the Financial Times and OXY's coverage of the statistics. 

Reform Researcher Imogen Farhan wrote an op-ed for Inside Housing arguing that Discretionary Housing Payments are not a long-term solution to the housing crisis. Read it here. 

Reform is delighted to announce that James Palmer has been appointed as Chair of trustees, succeeding Stephen Hargrave.

James has been a trustee of Reform for several years. James is Chair and Senior Partner of the international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills. He also currently chairs the Legal Services Group of TheCityUK, the body representing UK financial and professional services, and is a member of TheCityUK's Advisory Board and Senior Brexit Steering Group. Throughout his career James has also been involved in working on public policy initiatives, including improving regulation, its effectiveness and policy outcomes.

The team and trustees would like to express their thanks to Stephen Hargrave for his tremendous commitment to Reform over 15 years.

James Palmer said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as Chair of Reform's trustees. I am particularly looking forward to working with Charlie, who we appointed earlier this year as the Director of Reform, and with the rest of the team.

“I have long believed in Reform's mission of better and smarter public service outcomes, achieved through evidence-based independent research analysis and ideas. It is through this that Reform contributes to real improvements in people’s lives, and to honesty in debate about sustainable solutions. At a time when politics in the UK is particularly short-termist, Reform is superbly placed to have a positive impact on policy thinking and implementation.

 “I would like to thank Stephen Hargrave, my predecessor as Chair of the trustees, for his quiet and unsung contribution to Reform, from its earliest days. We are very grateful for his time and support.”

Eleonora Harwich, Director of Research and Head of Digital and Tech Innovation, was mentioned in Macau Daily Times, on the topic of Amazon and NHS England joining forces to help patients get information about illnesses via Amazon's Alexa. 

Read the full article here.