Networks for the Public Sector - a Roundtable Debate

13 October 2011

On Tuesday 11th of October, Updata hosted the first of a planned series of Industry Roundtable events to look at a set of issues around the role of Health in the emerging PSN market landscape, including:

• How can shared networks better incorporate healthcare generally, GPs and even private healthcare in the early stages of network development?
• What is the impact – on networks for the public sector - of the Department of Health's recent policy guidance, which suggests upper tier councils, could soon be responsible for tackling obesity, sexual health services, mental health and NHS health assessments. Will that bring healthcare and local government closer?
• What do we need to next to build networks that truly support the public sector and fulfil their potential for cost-savings and efficiency gains?

Facilitated by Georgina O’Toole, the highly respected Director of research and analysis market leader, TechMarketView, the attendees, representing a cross section of the Industry including Local Government, Central Government, Suppliers and Trade Associations, debated these and other issues, sharing their experiences and perspectives on how we collectively can build on the great work already being done in both Health and Local Government to realise the Government’s vision of the PSN as a ‘network of networks’. With incisive questioning from Mark Say, editor, Guardian Government Computing and Nicola Brittain, news editor, Computing, the debate looked at the issues in the round before concluding that unless various contractual and cultural issues are highlighted and addressed, the PSN concept is at risk of moving forward without what should be the key partner for Local Government.

Press coverage of the issues discussed can be found at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/government-computing-network/2011/oct/12/nhs-caution-public-service-network
http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2116351/getting-nhs-public-sector-network-headache-experts
Updata wishes to thank those who attended for their contributions, and we look forward to hosting similar debates in the near future. If you would like to participate, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.