Public services ‘must be more responsive’
Public services should take more account of their customers’ needs and ensure any complaints are properly dealt with, an influential committee of MPs says today.
The public accounts committee has drawn out ten key themes to help improve Britain’s public services, and ensure postcode lotteries, unnecessary delays and the alienation of some sections of the public are avoided as far as possible.
These include better understanding of what customers want and why, employing properly trained and capable staff, ensuring services are delivered in a simple, easy-to-use fashion and publishing information on how public bodies are meeting their performance targets.
“The members of my committee, and indeed the people of this country, are fed up with dealing with or hearing about services that are complex and inflexible, that are slow and inefficient and that do not meet the needs of people because of who they are, where they live or how old they are,” said Conservative committee chairman Edward Leigh.
“And too often the service is designed for the convenience of the official and not the people on the other side of the desk who need the service.
“We have set out ten aspects of a high quality public service. All public servants should examine this list and ask themselves: ‘Do I measure up?’ “
The committee highlights some public services that have reformed themselves to better meet their customers’ needs, in particular the Jobcentre Plus network.
Since 2002, it has introduced new smart offices that are more pleasant and accessible than the old social security ones, while details of job vacancies have also been made available online.
It also notes the e-programme set up by HM Revenue and Customs with a target of delivering all its services electronically by 2005. This includes developing new ways of working and setting up a new website.
“From Jobcentres to the NHS, improvements can be seen right across the public sector and, quite rightly, we should get the chance to applaud changes that have essentially made people’s lives a little easier,” said Labour committee member Kitty Ussher.
“However, it is our job as a committee to keep public services accountable so that they provide value for money for peoples hard earned taxes.
“Part of this accountability is to try and make sure that public services do not become complacent, are efficient and deliver a consistently high quality service.”
