2019 will be a pivotal year for local government in England. Numerous difficult and open-ended questions need rapid resolution, at a time when government focus and capacity is directed elsewhere. Drawing on a number of our recent reports, here I explore some of the challenges facing the sector, from budget cuts and growing social care […]
Since we first published our Framework to review programmes in 2017 there has been no let-up in NAO reports on major projects and programmes, most recently on Crossrail, the Emergency Services Network and the Stonehenge by-pass road. From the need to manage the risks of untried approaches to signs warning of unrealistic cost estimates, this […]
Government does not know how many people in prison have a mental illness, how much it is spending on mental health in prisons or whether it is achieving its objectives. It is therefore hard to see how Government can be achieving value for money in its efforts to improve the mental health and well being of prisoners. In 2016 there were 40,161 incidents of self-harm in prisons and 120 self-inflicted deaths.
The NHS delivered a £2.1bn surplus in 2011-12 but there is some financial distress in NHS trusts with some very large deficits.
We all rely on local public services to be able to function in our day-to-day lives, and in these challenging times, we’re even more reliant on those services. Whether from local authorities, local NHS organisations police forces and fire and rescue organisations, to keep us safe and take care of us should we need it. […]
The NAO has reported on the 2022-23 accounts of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Weaknesses in modelling for NHS England’s Long Term Workforce Plan need addressing to improve future strategic workforce planning.
Although some areas of the NHS in England are achieving value for money for out-of-hours GP services, this is not the case across the board.
The cyber threat to UK government is severe; government must act now to protect its own operations and key public services.
The Whole of Government Accounts consolidates accounts from over 10,000 public bodies, providing an overview of the UK’s public finances.
Benefits are expected to exceed costs slightly over the life of the systems, but there is uncertainty around whether the benefits will be realised
This impacts case study shows how our accounting expertise provided “invaluable” help in improving the strength and efficiency of the massive process of consolidating all the NHS England and other new health bodies’ accounts.
It is one example of financial or non-financial benefits realised in 2014 as a result of our involvement, all of which are set out in our interactive PDF.
This report examines progress in establishing Integrated Care Systems in England.
A National Audit Office (NAO) report assessing the government’s approach to improving urgent and emergency care services in England.
The Department of Health has until recently been focusing on speed of response as a measure of performance of the ambulance service, rather than on clinical outcomes. The service achieves high levels of public satisfaction but there are wide variations in ambulance trusts’ efficiency. The system has not delivered the best value for money to date.
The Better Care Fund has not achieved the expected value for money, in terms of savings, outcomes for patients or hospital activity.
The National Audit Office (NAO) has published the new draft Code of Audit Practice (the Code) 2024.
It is important that the services for vulnerable people at the Yarls Wood Immigration Removal Centre are delivered ‘right first time’ and this did not happen here. Steps are now being taken to address the problems but 35% of the recommendations from Her Majesty’s Inspector of Prisons’ 2015 inspection have not yet been implemented.
The head of the NAO’s annual speech will focus on the challenges of rising demand for public services and stretched resources.
The Better Care Fund is an innovative idea but the quality of early preparation and planning did not match the scale of the ambition. Current plans forecast £314m of savings for the NHS rather than the £1 billion in early planning assumptions.