The Week, 7 September 2018
This week saw MPs return to Parliament amidst renewed impetus for NHS reform. The Secretary of State, Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, vowed to modernise legacy IT systems, while Ministers committed to investigating the efficiency of CCGs and ensuring the NHS gets a ‘fair’ share of profits from data partnerships with the private sector.
Daniel El-Gamry, Researcher
Reformer of the week
Lord Freyburg for moving a motion in Parliament to harness “NHS and healthcare data and how that data could be used to improve the health of the nation”.
Good week for…
NHS finances I
On Tuesday, Stephen Barclay MP, Minister for Health, encouraged NHS England to examine CCGs “for what efficiencies can be found.”
NHS finances II
On Wednesday, Ministers announced that the NHS would get its ‘fair’ share of profits from data partnerships with private firms.
Bad week for…
Educational equality
On Wednesday, research revealed that, after taking their GCSES, disadvantaged children are six times more likely to be recorded as not in education, employment or training.
Elective surgery
On Friday, figures showed one in seven NHS operations were cancelled on the day of the surgery.
Quotes of the week
“Citizens may use apps to book minicabs and compose shopping lists, and then feel they are transported back to the dark ages when interacting with the government… take the TV licence agency. Move address and need a refund, and the agency demands that citizens print web-forms and post them. Carrier pigeons would be quicker.”
Charles Orton-Jones, a journalist, in Raconteur, on Tuesday.
“We have already proposed £20 billion in extra funding, to guarantee the NHS for the long term. But, as well as money, we need to ensure the NHS keeps on improving how it works… I’ve made improving technology one of my priorities for the NHS. My message is simple: enough is enough. It’s time to bring the health and care system into the 21st century.”
Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health, in The Daily Telegraph, on Thursday.
Reform’s Week
Reformer Blog
On Thursday, Dr Luke Heselwood, Researcher at Reform, wrote a blog on rethinking the ‘Right to Buy’ scheme. This is part of a blog series on the future of housing policy.
Events
On Thursday, Reform held its Annual Dinner, attended by Parliamentarians, business professionals and public service leaders. The keynote speech was given by Meg Hillier MP, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee.
Upcoming Events
On Tuesday, Reform will be holding a Partners Breakfast on ‘Delivering a broad and deep economic relationship with the EU’, led by Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Exiting the European Union.