The fifth benchmarking survey, published by the European Commission DG Communications Networks, Content and Technology, examines services in 28 EU and neighbouring countries, classifying performance in four stages of maturity: insufficient, moderate, fair and good.
The UK is performing above the European average in terms of broadband coverage, adoption and use, but the European Commission (EC) has warned that despite being on track to meet the majority of its digital targets by 2015, more must be done to connect rural areas, SMBs and eGovernment services across the continent.
According to the EU 2014 Digital Scorecard, the EC is on track to complete 95 of its 101 targets and says there has been an increase in Internet use, online shopping and overall ICT skills and confidence.
Read more: UK Above EU Broadband Averages, But EC Warns About SMBs And Rural Coverage
Simple Telehealth, run by Buckinghamshire County Council in conjunction with NHS Aylesbury Vale Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Chiltern Clinical Commissioning Group, gives patients more flexibility in their daily lives because it can save them from having to make an appointment with their GP. Almost 400 patients have signed up since it became available last October.
During the e-Health Insider (EHI) CCIO open source conference, Richard Jefferson, the Health Service’s head of business systems, claimed such solutions provide “the biggest bang for buck.”
Jefferson also added that the organisation is prioritising the EPR space and encouraging a move to open source because of the greater value for money it offers for Trusts.
Read more: GB: NHS told: Make patient record systems open source
Last month, a senior immigration official said that the program, known as e-Borders, had been 'terminated' in its original form. The scope and scale of the project has been limited and it has been renamed the Border System Programme.
Read more: UK admits £500m immigration system cannot count immigrants