The Covid-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the use of digital public services in the UK, according to a new report from Civica and techUK. However, modernisation of public services is being held back by legacy IT and technical debt.

The report found that 20 percent of UK citizens had a more positive view of public service delivery since the start of the pandemic; with 21 percent using digital public services more. A total of 44 percent believe public services make good use of technology to improve their lives, but more work needs to be done; and 41 percent are not confident in the Government's ability to deploy emerging technology. Security risks also have a real impact on public views about service delivery, with 36 percent of citizens concerned about data sharing from the Government of public service providers.

With the UK no longer tied to EU procurement regulations from 01 January 2021, the report shows that this presents an opportunity for a total overhaul of how goods/services are procured by government bodies, including IT and technology. It outlines what steps the public sector can take over the next six months to build a strong foundation for digital public services.