PublicTechnology.net

The Government Digital Service is beta testing ways to improve how government sends out letters, saying that automation could cut the cost of sending a letter from £3 to 29p.

The government has said it intends to have a prototype pensions dashboard by March 2017, and that it will consider regulating companies if they don’t volunteer to participate.

The Department of Health has announced an academy to train NHS staff in digital skills along with a suite of new digital services for patients in an effort to fast-track the NHS’ move to digitisation.

The majority of local authorities assessed by a content management company are failing to write online content that would be easily understood by 13- to 15-year-olds. 

The digital democracy manifesto launched by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn earlier this week has failed to gain the approval of those working in public sector technology.

Sooraj Shah looks at the benefits of AR and VR, and asks whether councils should be spending taxpayers’ money on the emerging technologies so soon.

The Home Office has completed the roll out of its online visitor’s visa service.

North Hertfordshire District Council has adopted a cloud-based solution to enable a number of departments automate their processes.

An online button directing people facing a housing crisis to the most appropriate service for them has won backing from Shelter Scotland for further development.

The Ministry of Justice has published a set of nine principles it will stick to as it updates outdated hardware that is making work difficult for employees.

The GOV.UK Notify system is to start sending messages to people applying for student finance and UK visas as part of the government’s invite-only public beta testing.

Council IT chiefs tell Sooraj Shah that, although the Internet of Things has huge potential for local government, it’s still early days for the technology.

At the end of last year, the charity doteveryone launched its heatmap of digital exclusion across the UK to help communities take control of the situation. But where is the project now, and have councils paid attention? Rebecca Hill reports.

Shropshire Council is set to approve a new digital transformation strategy aimed at saving £36m over five years.

The Department of Health is to add metrics on digital transformation, integrated health and care and seven-day services to its My NHS website.

South Ayrshire Council is making good progress towards satisfying auditors that it is providing addressing significant weaknesses identified 18 months ago.

Citizen portals are too often designed for business not user needs and need to be redesigned, FutureGov co-director Carrie Bishop has said.

The Better Connected survey has found that although 80% of council sites are now purposed for mobile use, just 46% passed disabled accessibility tests carried out on mobiles.

Brian Matthews, Milton Keynes Council’s transport innovation lead, tells Gill Hitchcock how wireless trials and links to an Open University data hub will prevent parking meltdown.

UK local authorities have markedly improved their websites’ accessibility for those with disabilities in the past year, but overall user experience has fallen slightly, a survey has found.

London Borough of Hackney’s education service is launching a mobile app to overcome language barriers to learning for pre-school children.