Video Conferencing links are to be used by the Social Security and Child Support Commissioners for the first time. It will mean that the Commissioners, who hear appeals from tribunals on points of law in both Social Security and Child Support cases, can now make use of the new facilities, linking Commissioners to forty-four venues throughout England, Wales and Scotland.Most of the Commissioners’ cases are decided on paper, but where an oral hearing is needed the new links are likely to prove valuable. The Court Service says matters decided by the Commissioners are often ideally suited for video-conferencing. It believes the innovation will particularly benefit the less well-off and disabled people who may find travelling difficult. In addition the new service will be provided through collaboration with other agencies and the sharing of court facilities in different localities.
A new web portal which will give easier access to basic IT skills training to thousands of National Health Service staff, is to go live this month. It will offer them the functionality and resources needed to raise their skill levels to the NHS standard and to support the successful implementation of many of the services forthcoming IT applications.The NHS ECDL Portal will include training materials, including assessments and quizzes which will enable staff using the system to evaluate their own achievements, as well as accredited tests on-line and practise tests which will allow candidates to check their competence before they have to take the actual tests. The system will also allow integration with instructor-led training as part of the programme to consolidate new skills. It will also permit the monitoring and tracking of all staff undertaking the qualification, for reporting at various levels of the health service.
By Colin E Smith and William R WebsterDigital television is central to the future electronic delivery of public services in the UK. It provides a potentially revolutionary platform allowing services to be delivered directly to users’ homes via a television set. Central government has been actively promoting its use in the public sector in policy statements and funding pilot schemes to be implemented at the local level. Although the technology is at an early stage, this article provides an opportunity to assess the nature of the platform as a state-of-the-art mechanism for delivering services and the factors that are likely to be central to its success.
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