‘New digital strategy for public sector needed’
WALES needs a new and joined up digital strategy across the public sector which puts users of services at its heart.
And a report from an expert panel to the Welsh Government also recommends the creation of a new chief digital officer for Wales role, with a Minister for Digital in the new Welsh Government of Mark Drakeford with authority across all devolved public services,
It also sets out a digital strategy that ensures problems are addressed from the point of view of members of the public that use services, and a team of specialist digital ‘squads’ that can be called upon to help organisations develop workable solutions.
It said that parts of the NHS were still in a “pre-digital age”, with hospital appointments still routinely posted and not communicated digitally,
The panel, chaired by Labour AM for Llanelli Lee Waters, also includes chief executive of Monmouthshire Council, Paul Matthews, and the current chief digital officer of Homes England, Dominic Campbell.
The panel was established at the end of October by Welsh Government ministers.
Mr Waters said: ”With the expectations of citizens being transformed by online services from Netflix and Youtube, to Amazon and Paypal,if health, local government and other services fail to keep up with these changing demands, it could seriously undermine support for the values of public services in the future.
“At the moment there is a gap at the top. Very few of the leaders of our health boards, local authorities and senior civil service can be said to be confident digital leaders. In fact, most don’t feel embarrassed to admit they don’t really understand it. They will often talk about Digital as an offshoot of IT. It’s not the same thing.”
He added: “We need to use digital to enable us to ask for what we actually want, rather than how to put up with what systems we are given. This is a big change agenda. It will require real leadership and team working to get it to work. But if we don’t there’s a real risk that our public services get left behind.”
The panel’s six recommendations are:
■ Design public services around the needs of the user;
■ Establish clear digital leadership in Wales;
■ Develop and introduce digital service standards;
■ Identify skills and capability gaps and develop a plan to close them;
■ Create an approach to incentivisation and spend controls; and
■ Agree a clear and ambitious timetable for change demonstrating pace and scale.
Mr Waters said:“A series of reports over the last three years have set out a consistent picture of Welsh public services failing to capture the potential of digital approaches to improve outcomes. Whilst some councils have introduced things like putting its parking services online, and text reminders of bin collections, many are way behind.
“In the same way some parts of the NHS are innovating
“Other parts of the NHS are still in the pre-digital age - hospital appointment letters are still routinely posted, and it’s not possible to access services online.”