The government should cut down on the number of call centres it runs and set up a "Public Services Direct" contact point, MPs said on 17 March 2005. The recommendation comes in a report on choice in the public sector issued by parliament's public administration select committee. MPs on the committee want the UK to follow France in setting up an "access gateway" for public services.
France has created a telephone system called 'Allo Service Public' which answers 70% of enquiries in one call without referring people elsewhere.
The report says that call centres are one area where the government should cut down on choice for the public. A similar service to the NHS's central helpline could apply to the whole public sector, it says.
"Building on the success of NHS Direct, we believe the trial of a Public Services Direct would be a valuable addition to the voice mechanisms available to users," says the report.
The MPs also highlighted concerns that the government's efficiency agenda and its efforts to promote choice in public services are conflicting.
One major area of worry is the NHS's programme to introduce patient choice in areas such as appointment booking using IT systems. The report says it is "disturbing" that there are doubts over the effectiveness and efficiency of these IT systems.
"The government needs to look more carefully at the detailed design and implementation of schemes for user choice. Evidence from the front line of public services suggests that greater provider choice in NHS healthcare is being introduced with insufficient attention to the need to win the acceptance of either users or staff," says the report.
Quelle: KableNET, 17.03.2005
