The Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) are the very first audited set of accounts showing in one place the financial position of the whole public sector. However, the NAO considers that the picture is incomplete.
The NHS delivered a £2.1bn surplus in 2011-12 but there is some financial distress in NHS trusts with some very large deficits.
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. The public sector constructs and maintains many financial relationships with third sector organisations (TSOs). Commonly, the public body pays the TSO for the provision of a service [Note 1] specified by the public body [Note 2]. Practical example: Service specified by public body In one area, the local […]
The report examines the system protecting consumers from scams, unfair trading, and unsafe goods. BEIS has made progress since our 2011 review, but needs to do more, particularly in the context of the growth of e-commerce.
Diabetes care in the NHS is poor, with low achievement of treatment standards, high numbers of avoidable deaths and annual spending reaching an estimated £3.9 billion.
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. For a public body, widening the geographic scope, or adding to the range, of services to be delivered, and thus the financial value of a grant or contract, can deliver economies of scale. However, this can deter many third sector organisations (TSOs), which may be small organisations, […]
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. Introduction A council wishes to commission support for vulnerable families in its area. The population is mixed in both economic and ethnic terms. School attainment varies markedly, as do ‘longer-term’ indicators, such as rising obesity and behavioural problems. Stakeholder engagement and communications A policy manager in the council takes […]
This page is part of our decommissioning toolkit. This guide shares its glossary with the Successful Commissioning Guide, which can be found at the link below: Successful Commissioning Guide: Glossary Accountability The obligation of individuals and organisations to report on their actions and be answerable to others for what they have done. Administrative law The […]
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z Accountability The obligation of individuals and organisations to report on their actions and be answerable to others for what they have done. Administrative law The branch of law which governs public bodies in the exercise of their public functions. Advance payment Payment made to a provider […]
Local authorities should work more collaboratively with voluntary and community organisations to help them improve the delivery of public services, according to a report out today by the National Audit Office. The report looked at whether Local Area Agreements (LAAs) are helping to promote better value for money in the way government works with the […]
This report examines whether the government is likely to meet its ambitions for children and young people’s mental health services.
The Jobcentre Plus programme rolled out a network of over 800 offices, combining the functions of the former jobcentres and social security offices, and was completed for £314 million less than the original £2.2 billion budget according to a National Audit Office report released today. The project was well managed, particularly the procurement aspect, where […]
Alcohol-related ill-health is an increasing burden for the National Health Service. Alcohol misuse costs the health service in the order of £2.7 billion a year, but efforts to address it locally are not in general well-planned, the National Audit Office reported today. The Department of Health is however raising the profile of alcohol misuse by […]
Crisis Resolution Home Treatment teams are having a positive impact on local acute mental health services, providing an alternative to hospital admission for people experiencing a short-term mental health crisis. But a report out today by the National Audit Office found that services are being limited by a lack of input from specialist health and […]
A report by the NAO into government action to tackle problem drug use has concluded that there has been good progress in a number of areas, including an increasing number of problem drug users in effective treatment and an increasing number leaving treatment free from dependency. Without an evaluative framework for the Strategy as a […]
This page is part of our decision support tool. What is meant by the term ‘third sector organisation’ (TSO)? Organisations are traditionally divided on the basis of‘private’ or ‘public’, and ‘for-profit’ or ‘not-for-profit’.Organisations which are established on a not-for-profit basis, and which are not directly controlled by the state (not part of the public sector) […]
Sure Start Children’s Centres are valued by most of the families who use them, according to the National Audit Office. The families reached by children’s centres are some of the most disadvantaged, though the early signs are that more still needs to be done to reach and support some of the most excluded groups. The […]
The majority of people who received an anti-social behaviour intervention, in a sample of cases examined by the National Audit Office, did not re-engage in anti-social behaviour. But, for a number of perpetrators interventions had limited impact. Seventeen per cent of the population perceive high levels of anti-social behaviour in their area and the cost […]
Consumers spend some £400 billion each year on goods and services bought from the private sector. The Audit Commission and the National Audit Office have concluded that there is scope for a real improvement in the way in which consumers’ interests are protected. In a joint initiative the two audit organisations have looked at consumer […]
The National Audit Office reported today that, four years into the 10-year NHS Cancer Plan, substantial progress has been made in meeting the Plan’s targets. The thirty-four cancer networks which have been established have achieved important improvements in delivering cancer services across England. However, the networks need to be more effective and to develop partnership […]