Peers have launched a new inquiry to ask what lessons for our
public services can be learned from the coronavirus pandemic.
The House of Lords Select Committee on Public Services, set up to
examine the transformation of public services to ensure that they
are fit for the 21st century, will look into what the COVID-19
experience can tell us about their future role, priorities and
shape.
The inquiry will focus on key areas including:
- Integration of services;
- Inequalities in access and outcome;
- Relationships between local and national services; and
- The role of civil society (private sector, charities,
volunteers and community groups) during the pandemic.
, chair of the
committee, said:
“COVID-19 has presented our public services with one of the
gravest challenges in recent history, and we have seen heroic
efforts from frontline staff to ensure our communities are
supported during lockdown.
“However, the crisis has also highlighted some fundamental
weaknesses in the design of public services, such as the lack of
integration between health, social care and other services. The
Committee will explore how the lessons from coronavirus can
inform public service reform.”
The pandemic has already encouraged radical thinking in some
areas, such as the establishment of numerous community
initiatives to support people during lockdown – schemes which
have seen collaboration across the voluntary sector, NHS and
social care providers, police; local authorities and community
services to ensure that the needs of local communities are met.
The crisis has also demonstrated the ability of government to
increase the capacity of public services quickly when necessary –
as seen in the NHS.
added:
“The pandemic has shown what’s possible, but how can government
and leaders ensure that the transformation seen in some services
remain once the crisis is over?”
The committee is due to hold its first public evidence session on
3 June.
The committee’s Call for Evidence is here.
