Reform's research and commentary is regularly featured in the media. You can find press coverage of Reform's work here.
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.
Danail Vasilev, Researcher at Reform, wrote an article in Public Finance following the launch of Funding social care: the role of deferred payment agreements. Care home places are largely in demand by those who are over the age of 75. This group has considerable housing wealth but will struggle to access this capital. Deferred payment agreements offers a solution to this problem, a policy useful for the individual and also aligns with the government's commitment to fiscal sustainability.
"While a new funding model is being evaluated by the government, steps to alleviate pressures in the short term must be taken. Deferred payments offer value at low cost."
Read the full article here.
William Mosseri-Marlio, Research Manager at Reform, wrote an article in Public Finance following the Budget. "Hammond went into the Budget stressing his credentials as a reformer of public services. A review of the triple lock on the state pension was announced in November; now social care funding is on the table. If the chancellor is to significantly improve the long-term outlook of the public finances, he must turn these words into deeds."
Read the full article here.
Louis Coiffait, Head of Education at Reform, responded to ASCL’s school leader survey about school budgets on ITV News, making the point that Reform analysis last Spring predicted the 7% per-pupil fall in funding, that school budgets have fared relatively well, and that many schools can achieve better value for money – for instance by looking at class sizes, working together more and pooling staff.
Reform held a major health conference on 'NHS reform at pace and scale' on 8 March 2017 where Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Health, gave the keynote speech. Media coverage included: BBC News Sky News Mirror International Business Times and The Guardian
Andrew Haldenby wrote an letter published by The Times in response to an article by Danny Finkelstein on a hypothecated NHS tax.
He wrote: “More importantly, the creation of a dedicated tax would distract Ministers from the essential task of reorganising the Service so that it works more productively. At long last the NHS is genuinely trying to shift its centre of gravity from relatively expensive hospitals to primary care and indeed to care in the home, enabled by new technology. The creation of a new funding system would send the contrary message that the Government sees funding, not productivity, as the solution to the Service’s problems.”
Andrew Haldenby wrote an article for the Telegraph in response to the Budget on the previous day. He wrote: “Philip Hammond concluded his Budget speech by saying that he would ‘back’ public services. That is not the same as writing them a blank cheque. The right way to do it is to help public services turn into the modern, efficient, capable organisations that citizens want.”
Read the full article here.
William Mosseri-Marlio, Research Manager at Reform, wrote an article for The Times Red Box ahead of the Budget tomorrow. Although the country is on track to deliver a surplus by the next Parliament, more difficult times lie ahead. As the ageing population grows, this will only put more strain on public services including social security, the NHS and long-term care. However, the Government looks like it is doing something about it, with an expected review on social care funding to be announced and a re-think on the pension triple lock. The only thing left to tackle is the NHS, the single biggest threat to the country's long-term fiscal position.
"Structural reform is a thankless political task. The pain is acute, and future chancellors enjoy the benefits. Anyone with a spreadsheet, however, can see that inertia isn’t an option."
Read the full article here.
Alexander Hitchcock, Senior Researcher at Reform, appeared on BBC Radio Gloucestershire, to discuss the benefits of larger GPs for patient care and taxpayers. He argued that larger GP surgeries are the "future" and would better suit the needs of the public today. Listen to the full programme here.
In a major article on the NHS and social care, the Economist made a number of references to Reform’s recent health research, Saving STPs. Achieving meaningful health and social care reform.
The article says: “After a decade of free spending under Labour and nearly as long a period of austerity under the Tories, it seems that Mr Hammond and Theresa May, the prime minister, are considering big reforms. With cuts to social care causing such problems for the NHS, the most radical idea is to change how it is paid for, either to a form of social insurance or to a levy on inherited wealth, says Andrew Haldenby of Reform, a think-tank. Both would overturn 70 years of thinking about how the welfare state should be financed. As Mr Haldenby asks, ‘Who would have thought that Theresa May and Philip Hammond were welfare-state revolutionaries?’.”
Read the full article here.
Andrew Haldenby authored an op-ed in which he argued that stop-gap solutions, whether proposed by the Chancellor or the Public Accounts Committee, are not the answer to the problems of the NHS. He referred to Reform‘s recent report, Saving STPs. Achieving meaningful health and social care reform.
"The great danger is that the NHS is regarded with such universal veneration that, while everyone can see it is in deep trouble, no one will commit the blasphemy of doing anything fundamental about it."
The article is available here.
Reform held a conference in February 2017 exploring the opportunities and challenges of Big Data in government. John Manzoni, Chief Executive of the UK Civil Service and Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office, gave the keynote speech on the subject. It received the following coverage in the media.
Civil Service World "Speaking on Tuesday at a conference on big data use in government, organised by the Reform think tank, John Manzoni said that gaining and retaining public trust was “absolutely critical to achieving our ambition of a data-driven government”." Read the full article here.
Computer Weekly "Speaking at think tank Reform’s conference on big data, Manzoni said “data is at the heart of 21st century government” and that Whitehall and the wider public sector need to “use it properly”." Read the full article here.
Public Technology This article gives an overview of the main themes that emerged from the conference. Read the full article here.
Public Technology This article gives an overview of the key themes that emerged from the keynote speech made by John Manzoni, Chief Executive of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office. Read the full article here.
Government Computing "In a speech delivered to the Reform think tank, Manzoni set out the government’s long-held ambitions to ensure what it described as the “proper use” of the enormous quantities of data that it holds." Read the full article here.
UKA This article looks at the potential of Big Data in justice, a topic that was explored at the conference. Read the full article here.
Andrew Haldenby appeared on the Radio 4 programme to argue that reform would be more beneficial than emergency extra resources for the NHS. He referred to Reform‘s recent report, Saving STPs. Achieving meaningful health and social care reform. The interview is available here.
Andrew Haldenby appeared on the Radio 4 programme which presented a short biography of Liz Truss MP, Reform’s former deputy director. The full interview is available here.
In a report on the possibility of extending NHS charging, Nick Triggle referred to Reform’s 2013 paper, The cost of our health: charging in healthcare.
Read the full article here.
GP Online wrote an article on the findings of Reform's report, Saving STPs. Achieving meaningful health and social care reform. "Report co-author Kate Laycock said: ‘As recent weeks have shown, the NHS desperately needs ideas that reshape local services and ease the burden on over-pressed hospitals. STPs can do it but only if ministers give them full control of local health and social care, under one directly elected individual. Without that, the high hopes for STPs will be disappointed.’
Read the full report here.