What happens when citizens expect Amazon-like service from legacy systems?

We’re surrounded by effortless digital experiences. With just a few taps, you can order groceries, book a flight or stream your favourite show. This ease has transformed expectations, not just for consumer brands but for public services too. 

But when people visit council websites, healthcare portals or tax platforms, it often feels like stepping back in time. 

We’ve seen this gap firsthand. Citizens no longer view public services in isolation. They measure them against the likes of Amazon, Netflix, Ryanair and they ask: if I can manage everything in one place with those platforms, why not with my GP, local council or HMRC? 

When experience outpaces infrastructure 

Citizens want a unified experience. But legacy systems, some decades old, weren’t built with integration in mind. They often can’t “talk” to each other, which means departments can’t either.  

Frustration builds when users are forced to log in multiple times across different portals or re-enter the same data repeatedly. Citizens wonder why their bank can provide real-time updates and notifications, but their council can’t confirm a bin collection. 

It’s not just perception. Many services rely on outdated infrastructure that makes updates difficult and integration harder still. The government itself recently admitted that a quarter of its digital systems are classed as “legacy,” and some cost 3–4 times more to maintain than modern alternatives​. 

The cost of standing still

Legacy systems can act as a brake on progress, introducing more risk than modern, updated architectures. Think of them like classic cars: beautifully engineered in their time and still capable of running well – with enough care and attention. However, maintaining them demands significant work, time and investment to keep them economically viable and operationally sound.

This is the same in public services. Take healthcare for example. Many NHS trusts still rely on paper records and where digital systems exist; they’re often siloed. A hospital might run one system, a GP another and labs yet another - sometimes on hardware dating back to the 90s.

Even something as simple as accessing a test result can become a logistical challenge. Data may need to travel from one outdated system to another, then back to a GP with newer tech who might not be able to access the old system data.

When public services fail to communicate internally, the citizen bears the brunt—wasted time, duplicated processes or worse, delays in care or support. These aren’t minor inconveniences but symptoms of systems that can’t keep up with the speed and complexity of modern life. 

A digital divide in disguise

We often talk about the digital divide in terms of access to devices or connectivity. But there's another layer: digital inequality driven by poor service design. When government systems are hard to use or are still paper based, it’s those with limited time, mobility or tech fluency who are most impacted.

Even when systems are online, if they’re clunky, people fall back to telephone calls or post. HMRC still receives around 100,000 phone calls a day because people can’t resolve their issues online​. DVLA processes over 45,000 paper letters daily. These aren’t standalone cases as the government works to provide services for a myriad of different people.

Turning the tide: what’s working? 

There are examples of best practice. The NHS App has grown rapidly - in 2022 it was being used by over 30 million people. It shows what’s possible when digital services are thoughtfully designed, tested with users and supported by evolving infrastructure. 

Similarly, government services such as passport renewals and tax self-assessment have improved noticeably in recent years. And the introduction of GOV.UK One Login—an identity platform that allows users to access multiple government services with a single account—is helping to break down long-standing silos. Already, over 50 services are using it, with more coming on board this year​. 

Councils and departments facing similar challenges shouldn’t reinvent the wheel. Share playbooks, code libraries and lessons learned.  

Rebuilding trust through seamless public services 

Modernising government services isn’t just about updating technology—it’s about restoring confidence, simplifying access and designing systems that reflect the realities of how people live today. 

Citizens expect joined-up, intuitive digital services. Meeting that expectation means transforming how we build, connect and deliver public systems securely, at scale and with real-world usability at the core.

If your organisation is facing the challenge of replacing or integrating legacy systems, or if you’re looking to accelerate digital transformation with confidence, talk to our experts at 2i.  

Our delivery teams work shoulder to shoulder with public sector partners to modernise complex systems, reduce risk and put the citizen experience first.

Let’s shape services that work the way people expect them to, together. 

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