The government's internet shopping site for public sector Information Communication Technology (ICT) services had 23,605 visitors within 10 days of its launch last month. The G-Cloud – which offers buyers 1,700 applications from nearly 300 different suppliers - is a key plank of the government's ICT strategy published last year. Ministers hope that cloud computing along with the more shared networks across different public sector organisations, under the banner of the Public Services Network (PSN), will save around £1bn in ICT costs alone by 2014 and improve public services. Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude says: "Effective and efficient ICT is critical to delivering world-class public services that offer value for taxpayers' money. The actions we are taking will reduce waste, avoid costly project failures of the past and see smart technology systems being used to improve the way that services are delivered."
His confidence in ICT's ability to transform services - and save money at a time when councils and NHS trusts are having to find billions of pounds of cuts by 2014 - is shared by public sector organisations at the forefront of the ICT innovation. Steve Palmer, deputy director for ICT, highways and business services at Hillingdon council expects the London borough to save £600,000 a year by outsourcing its council desk top services to Google. He says: "The potential of this is massive, not just in terms of it allowing remote working but also in terms of document collaboration. Rather than having a number of copies of the same report we now only need one which can be shared across the system."
But ICT innovation can do more than save money. Council chief information officers (CIOs) say shared networks improve communication across public services and can be the catalyst for creating a shared services culture in front line services. Hampshire county council's public service network spans its county boundary linking 18 local government organisations including the New Forest National Park and the fire and rescue service. Talks are now going on to bring health on board and it is about to purchase a bank of telephone services to support the expanding PSN. Jane Stedmen its ICT services, support, quality and security manager says: "It creates a more sharing environment. If one council has a good data system another council can adopt it without having to buy their own. We don't have to replicate everything. It is about trying to drive down costs but there is also a genuine desire to be joined up, sharing services and information to provide better services."
Tonino Ciuffini is head of information assets at Warwickshire county council and is a member of the government's G-Cloud board. Warwickshire is about to outsource its email service and already has a regional network linking it to local councils and the fire service. Ciuffini says the G-cloud "is a major changer" in the ICT landscape but believes it is individual ICT "consumerism" which is driving change as more people rely on mobile phones and tablets in their lives outside of work. He says: "We have to look at how we can take advantage of that which is something which the IT industry has to respond to." Social media like Facebook also has the potential to transform public services, according to Jos Creese CIO at Hampshire. He says: "It's not about the technology because some of what we use has been around for a long time; it's about making innovative use of that technology. I think in the future social media could be an effective way of engaging with the public and creating self-service delivery [of services]."
According to the Socitm, the association for IT local authority professionals, councils have been leading the way in ICT innovation. The NHS, say its head of policy Martin Ferguson, has lagged behind as it has a history of "top down technology-led thinking." But some NHS trusts are taking the initiative making the use of cutting-edge technology to save money and improve care. Eight hospitals in Cumbria and Lancashire have developed the around-the-clock Telestroke thrombolysis service which is saving lives and shaving £8m from NHS budgets. The service, which cost £ 250,000, was designed by Virgin Media Business and relies on a package including video conferencing, and customised laptops for 17 consultants who can access a dedicated broadband link from home. Programme lead (ICT infrastructure) NHS North of England Gus Hartley says: "As far as I am aware the service is pretty unique because it's a fully managed service."
Last December a National Audit Office report said the government was making "good" progress on its ICT strategy, adopting a "pragmatic and collaborative approach." But the success of the government's vision will depend on innovators like those in Hampshire and Cumbria who are showing by example what can be achieved in partnership with the ICT industry which shares its ambitions. Ferguson predicts: "In the future the most gains are going to come from self-service health and social care and staff mobility and flexible working which all depend on having secure and shared information services in place. The PSN and G-Cloud are absolutely critical in making that happen."
