According to Power, this factor is having a significant impact on public sector IT because bodies offering services need to think differently about how those services are delivered and how they engage with consumers.
Digital opportunity
“Digital provides that opportunity. It provides the tools and techniques both to improve the effectiveness of our government organisations but also improve its’ relationships with its’ citizens. The digital revolution has disrupted many industries but that is only really now coming to the public sector,” he said.
Patients with epilepsy in Ireland will shortly have access to their electronic healthcare records and an ability to communicate with their clinician. If you’re a haemophiliac, you’ll be able to securely communicate with your clinician, you’ll be able to order new treatments and new drugs and have those monitored and delivered to your fridge, Richard Corbridge, HSE
Younger people are socially connected through their mobile devices and want services at a time and a place of their choosing. What that means for public sector bodies is that it will be a challenge to provide services where consumers can find information easily.
“They expect the basics to be in place around privacy and security but are also demanding more complex services, whether it’s the ability to apply for licences, pay taxes, check the status of accounts—and most importantly they want the ability to do a single sign-on, to have single access to government.”
While there are ‘pockets of excellence’ dotted around the public sector in different areas, revenue collection and motor tax in particular are well served, in general Irish government services are lagging behind when it comes to digital engagement.
“The revenue inspectors launched an online service a long time ago, in the early 2000s, that allowed 24 by 7 service for businesses and the self-employed to file tax returns over the internet. From that start they’ve delivered the likes of a customs service where all of our import and export transactions are handled digitally 24 hours a day, and all that information is exchanged across 27 member states,” said Power.
“It’s remarkable. But if you look at what underpins a lot of the leading organisations that do this kind of thing, you find the common factor is the use of data and proper analytics, and again I think Revenue have been leaders in this area.”
There are hurdles that need to be surmounted to get us closer to where we need to be but three quarters of executives in the private and public sectors agree that a centralised tech strategy needs to be a priority and most would like to see incentives put in place for their organisations to invest more in IT infrastructure and digital skills leadership ranging from analytics, big data and data processing to Internet of Things technologies, Aisling Keegan, Dell EMC
Mixed state
According to Richard Corbridge, chief information officer with the Health Service Executive (HSE), the state of the Irish government’s digital interaction with its citizens is mixed—good in some areas, less good in others.
“It depends what we’re talking about around digital engagement. There are two points of view. For example, the ability for patients to engage digitally with healthcare is nearly non-existent,” he said.
“This is a shame because there are start-up organisations in Ireland doing video consultation for patients and putting in place the ability to have a GP consultation over your phone with video. In particular, three very good solutions are being built in that area.”
Likewise, in the UK there is growing digital engagement and patients of the NHS have access to clinical records, can book appointments or get advice and guidance all online.
“We haven’t got that here but all of our plans between now and 2022 are focused on trying to move in that direction,” said Corbridge.
The problem for the HSE is that it is starting out from a disconnected position and the scope of its ambition is huge.
“The reason why this is a two-part story is that, while we fail in one area—our current situation—we are seen as massively successful in another area and that is in the area of how we’re engaging patients and the public on our digital direction. The difference there is that we’re being very open, transparent and public about the mission of eHealth Ireland, the direction of travel and the amount of money we need to spend,” he said.
eHealth example
According to Corbridge, both the NHS and the World Health Organisation have commented that eHealth Ireland has put together a good digital engagement programme for clinicians and patients.
“People really want it, there’s massive demand and they’re keen for it to adapt to whatever devices they use.”
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