IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The government's tax credit service is still in disarray due to IT systems which fail to take proper account of the needs of claimants, according to two reports published on 22 June 2005.

Both the Parliametary Ombudsman and the Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB) highlight IT failures. The Ombudsman's investigation into tax credits finds that despite the Inland Revenue's assurances that initial difficulties were only teething problems which would be resolved as IT became bedded down, complaints about the service have continued to rise.

Ms Abraham also makes a series of major recommendations aimed at improving the way the system works and helping those who have been disadvantaged by it.

The relevant housekeeping software wrongly deleted almost a million tax records, leaving many vulnerable people without the tax credits they were due. The revelation was made in report by parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on 8 September 2005.

If you're self-employed or a higher-rate taxpayer, then your weekend was quite possibly spoiled by a tedious battle to file your tax return using the Inland Revenue's (IR) online service -- one of the key elements of the UK's much-vaunted e-government initiative.

Under the old rules, which applied until last year, the taxpayer had to file accounts by the end of September if HM Revenue and Customs were working out the amount due, and by the end of the following January if the taxpayer, or more usually an accountant, was providing the calculations already complete.

Enthusiasm for e-learning is growing in the public sector but its implementation has been slowed by end-users' lack of technological knowledge.

The demand for IT workers in the public sector has soared, according to figures released on Wednesday by an employment trends research company.

Statistics from the CWJobs quarterly IT skills index showed the number of permanent IT jobs in the public sector had increased by 20 per cent in the last quarter of 2004. Contract vacancies rose by 49 per cent over the same period.

TeHIP (The e-Health Innovation Professionals Group) published the study on 29 September 2005. It was based on the views of over 100 healthcare professionals, and sponsored by the British Computer Society Health Informatics Committee, the Department for Trade and Industry and the Department of Health.

In its new blueprint on social care, published today, the government says the technology can help provide more personalised and preventative services.

Earlier this year, as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review, the coalition allocated an additional £2billion by 2014/15 to support the delivery of social care. This included £1 billion through the NHS to be spent on measures that support social care but also benefit health.

Telecare is becoming increasingly important in providing support for older and disabled people. It is being used increasingly by social services because of the part it plays in risk management. The use of a range of sensors allows people to remain in their own homes in a safe condition, well beyond what was possible in the past.

Over 17.5 million people in the UK live with a long-term condition, which places a significant strain on health and social care resources. It is estimated that 80% of GP consultations relate to a long-term condition, and that 60% of hospital bed usage is by people with a long-term condition. Their treatment and care also accounts for 69% of the primary and acute care budget in England, placing a clear economic burden on the NHS. Indeed, it is estimated that the UK economy stands to lose £16bn over the next 10 years through premature deaths due to heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Telehealth can reduce demand for face-to-face services and expensive acute care but there is currently “no strategic drive for telehealth at scale” in the NHS, according to the Healthcare Without Walls report - due to be published next Wednesday by think tank 2020health.

It says: “Whilst some commissioning bodies are showing firm leadership [on telehealth]… most are citing the impending shift in power to the GP commissioning consortia as a reason for inertia.”

It also means that health professionals can keep a closer eye on patients as the results of many home health tests are instantly relayed via wireless internet to local GP surgeries and clinics.

The Welsh Assembly Government this week published its ‘Rural Health Plan’ identifies access to services and integration of services as the two key issues affecting the health of rural communities.