For better and smarter public services
Find coverage in the press of Reform's latest work below.
We are always happy to comment on policy issues relevant to our work. If you would like a quote, an interview, or a background briefing, please email press@reform.uk or ring 020 7799 6699 for the quickest response.
Commenting on official statistics from UCAS highlighting that universities are accepting more students with lower grades, Reform Researcher, Dr Luke Heselwood, said:
"Although the number of students with lower grades being accepted by universities is on the rise, these figures focus on the sector as a whole.
Reform research shows that top universities are all but failing to improve access for the most disadvantaged students because, on average, they do not achieve the required A level grades, compared with their more advantaged peers."
To accompany the launch of Reform's report 'Making NHS data work for everyone' report author and Reform Director of Research, Eleonora Harwich, wrote an article for the Health Service Journal on the need for a national strategy to harness the value of healthcare data. It is available here.
Andrew Haldenby, Reform Director, was quoted in Financial Times in an article on private sector outsourcing. The full article can be found here (£).
Andrew Haldenby, chief executive of Reform, a public services think-tank, supported the government’s decision. “It’s entirely possible for the government to drive the sector completely out of business and that would be a mistake given the benefits of public competition in public services and the innovation that new providers can deliver.”
Reform Director, Andrew Haldenby, was quoted in The Sunday Times, discussing GP appointments.
Andrew Haldenby, director of the think tank Reform, argues that patients as well as doctors have to adjust their priorities: “When we phone a GP surgery, we shouldn’t expect to see a GP every time.” He believes more one-stop shops with nurses, physios, dentists, pharmacists and GPs working in concert could halve doctors’ appointments without risk to the patient.
To read the full article, click here.
To accompany the launch of Reform's report 'Gaining Access: Increasing the participation of disadvantaged students at elite universities', Dr Luke Heselwood wrote an article for FE News titled 'Three Steps to Better Measures: Increasing the participation of disadvantaged students'. Read the full article here.
On Wednesday 28 October, Reform launched its report, Gaining Access: Increasing the participation of disadvantaged students at elite universities. The report was covered in The Times, The Guardian, The Times Education Supplement and FE News.
Eleonora Harwich, Director of Research and Head of Digital and Tech Innovation, was quoted in Financial Times in an article about the use of facial recognition in South Wales Police. The full article (£) can be found here.
Eleonora Harwich, director of research at Reform, a think-tank, warned against seeing tech as a “magical solution that will implement itself”.
“As highlighted [in the report], tech should be seen as enhancing human capabilities not replacing them,” Ms Harwich said. “Developing a strong evidence base around the effectiveness of these types of tools is crucial.”
Commenting on today’s HMICFRS report, Reform Research Manager Claudia Martinez said:
“Despite painting a dire picture of the challenges facing mental health services nationally the renewed focus on prevention, early intervention and specialised mental health training for the police are necessary to ensure that the service has the capacity to fulfil its task of ensuring public safety and that people experiencing a mental health crisis receive the support they deserve.
The government’s commitment to invest £2bn in mental health services and the new funding allocated to liaison mental health teams and community-based crisis resolution services, are steps in the right direction. Yet, without a radical rethink of the system, the NHS risks finding itself once again in a "sticking plaster" situation.”
Disruption Hub wrote an article on the convergence of AI and Blockchain in Healthcare. Part of it covered the Healthcare Unblocked event which Reform's Eleonora Harwich spoke at.
"The merits of a ‘decentralised patient centric’ system in the NHS was the focus of some discussion. Eleonora Harwich, Director of Research and Head of Digital and Tech innovation at Reformreminded us that many things need to be addressed to make this feasible, including data quality, interoperability and standards."