The Week, 23 May 2019
Reformer of the week
Damian Hinds MP, Secretary of State for Education, for pledging to reduce university grade inflation.
Quotes of the week
“There is a national crisis and we need to sort it because it is only going to get worse”
Cllr David Fothergill, the leader of Somerset county council referring to the social care funding crisis.
“The Department for Education must get its reform of apprenticeships back on track, realigning the programme with its initial objectives so that as much of the population as possible can benefit from it.”
Meg Hillier MP, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee.
Good week for
AI in healthcare
Researchers have developed an AI algorithm able to detect lung cancer which could have an impact on the effectiveness of screening programmes.
The competition and markets authority
It revealed that four firms had colluded on drug pricing costing the NHS millions of pounds.
Bad week for
Making work pay
A report from the United Nations’ human rights council into poverty in Britain has highlighted that employment alone is not enough to pull people out of poverty.
Apprenticeship targets
The Public Accounts Committee has found that there was a 26 per cent drop in the number of people taking up the apprenticeship schemes – meaning that targets will be missed.
Reform’s week
For those of you wondering why you’re getting this today, the Reform team is having its annual strategy day tomorrow.
Luke Heselwood, Senior Researcher at Reform, made a statement on Oxford's announcement of a new outreach programme which was covered by BBC News, Schools Week and FE News. He also published a blog on how digital technologies can help to restore passenger trust in the UK's rail system.
Josh Pritchard, Researcher at Reform, authored a blog on why the Ministry of Justice must see the renationalisation of probation as an opportunity for system-wide reform, not a solution itself.
Claudia Martinez, Research Manager at Reform, and Imogen Farhan, Researcher at Reform, presented the findings of an upcoming paper on the potential of data-driven technologies to improve mental healthcare to the National Institute for Health Research.
Reform held three events this week: one on advanced technology to support research, innovation and economic growth in the UK with Chris Skidmore MP, Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, supported by Hewlett Packard Enterprise; one on the future of school reform: getting long-term finding right with Layla Moran MP, Liberal Democrat education spokesperson; and another one on using data to improve public safety with Katy Bourne, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner.