Press coverage

Dr Josh Pritchard, Senior Researcher at Reform, wrote an article for Public Finance about Reform's latest research on poor procurement and why a new regulatory body for outsourcing should be established. 

Read the full article here. 

Commenting on new NHS data showing that the number of requests for social care received by Council’s has increased to 5,245 daily up from 5,000 last year, Reform health lead, Claudia Martinez, said:

“The demand of Council care services is rising and we have yet to see anything from the Government that resembles a sensible, sustainable solution to this perennial crisis.

“The £1.5 bn funding injection announced in the Spending Round last month won’t even be a sticking plaster, given the state of disarray our social care system is in.

“We need a long-term solution. Government must press ahead with an insurance system in which working-age people contribute part of their salary to a later-life care fund. In the short-term, people should release the equity in their property to pay for their care needs and the Government should reduce overly generous pensioner benefits.”

Covered by The Daily Mail and the Local Government Chronicle.

On Tuesday 22 October, Deloitte and Reform published The State of the State report, which is now in its eighth year.

The report was covered in The Times, The Financial Times, The i and Econonmia. 

On Monday 21 October, Reform launched its new report 'The Price of Poor Procurement: the argument for an independent regulator'. It is part of our new spending review programme. 

The report was covered in The Financial Times, The Independent, Public Finance and The Law Gazette.

14 of the 15 worst performing Local Authority schools examined against the ‘Progress 8’ measure are in the North of England. Whilst 14 of the 15 best performing schools against the same measure are in London, according to analysis by the Reform think tank.

Commenting, Dr Luke Heselwood, Reform education lead, said:

“This North/South divide among the 15 best and worst performing Local Authority schools, gives a glimpse of the opportunity differential up and down the country.

“If the Government wants to bolster the attainment of poor performing students, the money promised to schools over the next three years must be targeted at the most disadvantaged, where it is needed most. Boosting cash incentives for the best teachers who move to the worst performing schools is also a must.

“Acting now will mean that more children get the best possible education and start in life.”

Ahead of our Reform's Women's Network dinner with Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on the topic of 'Making technology work for everyone', Reform was featured in this article discussing Nicky Morgan's address on gender bias in technology and devices. 

Read here.

Commenting on the Care Quality Commission’s annual report showing that 52 per cent of urgent and emergency care services are rated inadequate or requiring improvement, Reform think tank Health policy lead, Claudia Martinez, said:

“Services have hit a brick wall due to the relentless pressure being placed on them by our broken primary care system.”

“A major driver of demand is those who’ve reached crisis point due to a lack of care in the community, leaving no choice but emergency services. Last year, for example, 38 per cent of patients who needed a same day GP appointment were unable to get one.

“We need urgent reform to bolster primary care and keep people out of hospital, which will relieve the unrelenting pressure facing emergency services. Otherwise those in need will continue to miss out on the standard of care they deserve.”

Commenting on new data published today by NHS Digital showing A&E attendances, waiting times and readmittances have all increased compared to the same time last year, Reform think tank Health policy lead, Claudia Martinez, said:

“Today’s performance data confirms again that the NHS is stuck on a carousel of crises.

“To cut A&E attendance, patients need to be able to access out of hours GP provision. Just 13% of people think they can make a GP appointment after 6.30pm, and nine in ten do not think Saturday appointments are available to them.

“Instead of fixating on building shiny new hospitals, the Government should be investing in primary care. The cost of this failure will likely be another winter of crisis.”

Imogen Farhan, Researcher at Reform, was published in a debate piece in City AM on whether winter fuel allowance should be means-tested. 

Read here.