The government has announced plans to leverage technology and AI tools to streamline public services, including the NHS, improve data sharing and reduce costs.

The plans come following the publication of a review that shows that the country relies on a poor system, with outdated methods of communication. For example, HMRC takes 100,000 calls a day and DVLA processes 45,000 letters.

The technology secretary has launched his department as the digital centre of government to overhaul digital services and target £45 billion in productivity savings every year.

The new plans include scrapping the need for people to register a death in person and removing the need to post an advert in the local paper before getting a license to drive a lorry.

There will also be changes to data sharing, which could help central government departments, like HMRC and the Department for Business and Trade, share data with each other and local councils more seamlessly to crack down on fraud.

A new team will be housed in the Department for Science, Technology and Innovation (DSIT) to join up public services and there will be training programmes to help civil service technologists become AI engineers.

Science secretary Peter Kyle said: "Sluggish technology has hampered our public services for too long, and it’s costing us all a fortune in time and money.

"Not to mention the headaches and stresses we’re left with after being put on hold or forced to take a trip to fill out a form.

"My department will put AI to work, speeding up our ability to deliver our Plan for Change, improve lives and drive growth.

"We will use technology to bear down hard to the nonsensical approach the public sector takes to sharing information and working together to help the people it serves.

"We will also end delays businesses face when they are applying for licenses or permits, when they just want to get on with the task in hand – growth. This is just the start."

Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting said: "We are bringing our analogue NHS into the digital age. Our Plan for Change will rebuild our NHS, put patients in control of their own healthcare and arm staff with the latest groundbreaking technology, ending the needless bureaucracy faced by patients up and down the country.

"We’ve already set out plans to transform the NHS App so patients can choose providers and book appointments, and we’re harnessing artificial intelligence to deliver faster and smarter care across the country.

"By embracing technological advancements, we can both make substantial savings for the taxpayer and build a health service fit for the 21st Century."