Publicnet was launched five years ago today. With a focus on joined up government, the launch was planned to coincide with the arrival of the new Labour administration. Statements about the end of silo thinking in the delivery of public services led to the expectation that ‘joining up’would become the norm and cross boundary working would be commonplace. Publicnet was geared up from the start to monitor these developments and bring news daily about the way people at the center and at the sharp end were finding ways to bring seamless government to customers. The reality proved to be rather different. ‘Joining up’ has happened, particularly with health and social services, but many barriers such as budgets and culture remain firmly in place.In the five years many new initiatives across central and local government and the health services have been closely followed. The initiative web is continually changing with the fall out resulting from expectation failure, such as health and education action zones and the appearance of new ideas such as street wardens. The Publicnet website now holds a complete archive of news, views and other information covering what has become the most turbulent period so far in the history UK public services with a radical reform agenda that has no equal.

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Local health services are being given new freedoms to buy NHS care from non NHS providers.Primary care trusts (PCTs), which run local health services, have been given the all clear to buy services from private or voluntary sector providers as well as NHS hospitals.

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KPMG ReportThe report based on a survey by MORI reveals that Internet access at home or work has risen to 50%. Home access is up from 38% in April 2001 to 44% in 2002. Two thirds of the British population now want to access public services online but only 15% of the UK public have actually used the Internet or other digital channels to transact with government or local councils in the last twelve months. If the relevant electronic services were available: 38% of the population would be prepared to vote in a local council or general election online, 37% would apply for/renew a passport, 37% would book an appointment with their GP, 35% would notify their council of a fault in a council service and 30% would pay their council tax. The main barriers to Internet usage remain access, awareness and understanding. Call centres are now the most used channel for accessing public services up from 9% to 29%.

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