Service Now UK public sector majors on data transfer to government

It has repeatedly highlighted how data has been used to deliver services and provide care to citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic, in ways that were thought impossible before the public health crisis . Central government, local government and healthcare organizations have proven that when a crisis occurs, data can be used to accelerate services and identify citizens’ needs.

But as we enter the vaccine economy, those in charge of digital projects in the public sector are now considering how to capitalize on this momentum and appetite for change. The use of data is central to modern government and the provision of health services – but it is not something that is easy or taken lightly.

For example, we saw how, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Health Service in the UK sought to move forward with its data collection services at the GP level to better understand the provision of health services across the country. . Poor communication, a perception that the project was being run through, privacy concerns and a lack of control given to citizens meant that the new project faced a backlash and was eventually canned.

More sophisticated data usage across government has huge benefits, but if handled incorrectly, it can mean permanently damaged trust. Trust is essential.

With that in mind, we recently spoke to ServiceNow Senior Director of Public Sectors UK Kam Patel, who recently joined the vendor from Google, to find out how government organizations can move data. Huh.

We’re talking to Patel ahead of Service Now’s Now At Work virtual event, which is running this week and can be registered for here.

Patel’s vision for data use in the UK healthcare sector is one where citizens are placed at the center of their personal health monitoring, and where data flows seamlessly between private and public sector organisations. The key, however, is that users have a consistent view of their data and an understanding of where it is. He said:

What I predict is going to happen in healthcare is that we as citizens are going to be able to take an active healthcare position. You have all the wearable devices, for one – but if you look at healthcare as a core, you’ve got an amazing service the NHS is providing us, but you also have some that are private healthcare. was awarded. What is going to happen is that you will almost have a dashboard of your own health, where we are actively monitoring blood pressure, sugar levels. It looks good, it doesn’t look good, etc.

But it will also work with the private sector. So you’re going to go to your local pharmacist for a certain service, right? More and more ad-hoc, proactive health care measures are being outsourced to the private sector – but that data needs to flow back to your overall NHS picture. When did you have the vaccine? When did you have your last eye exam? In that scenario, it is important that it happens in an automated and seamless manner. You can’t wait a month to get that data to go to your GP. It has to be there, it has to be immediate, so the GP can do something active with it.

Equally, this translates into the social care setting, which is due for major reforms under the current government. Patel has personal, recent experience in how manual processes and poor insight into data use can put a burden on the caregivers of others. Patel said:

In social care, in the context of an aging population, it is even more acute. A motivator for me to get back into the public sector is that my dad passed away with dementia in February of this year, and we were his primary caregivers. The amount of paperwork you have to go through to properly care for that person is insane. You need paperwork, you need to make sure you capture the data, but then it was a black hole. Where is that data going? Which department is this going to? That’s the piece that has to be more automated and seamless.

building trust

As mentioned above, if citizens feel that government bodies are not vigilant with their data, trust can be eroded and any potential gains or progress can be swiftly eliminated. While citizens are generally more forgiving of handing over their data to private companies, when it comes to the government, they appear to be far more cautious.

Patel argues that lessons need to be learned and government bodies need to gradually show how exchanging data can provide a better experience for citizens. she added:

What do we do with the data? I think there is a generational change. I think the younger generation is more comfortable sharing a lot of information. Then you also have the camp that is more cynical about the government using data and not doing great things. This is a difficult one.

I think it will be development, not revolution. With data, if you’re down a notch, and you give visibility and tell people you’re going to do all these fun and amazing things, you’re going to scare most people. You have to take them on a trip. Step one is this. Step two We’re going to do this.

At each stage, if you can demonstrate the benefits you get from providing or sharing that data, it becomes more acceptable. If you say, ‘Hey, you need to tell us this and we don’t know how it’s going to benefit you yet’, you’ll get pushback.

And speaking of data fear, it’s hard to ignore the negative sentiment often surrounding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Patel argues that the onus is on government institutions to: one, explain the benefits these technologies can bring to careers; And second, then invest in upskilling people so that they are not left behind when AI and ML are inevitably deployed. He said:

The next development is that there should be strong use of AI and ML. I know it’s scary, but the whole AI piece is important for making decisions and speeding up processes. This in itself takes a full portion of the cost from the business.

People always worry that AI and ML will lead to job losses, and this has increased even more in the public sector. But it is allowing people to have different skill sets. I’ve studied history, and if you look at every industrial or technological revolution, it’s always been a matter of fear of unemployment, but what has happened every time is that skills are redefined, then and the skill sets of individuals go up one level.

And this is the piece the UK public sector really needs to leave behind – upskilling the next generation of the workforce in order to truly improve UK productivity.