Managing the costs of clinical negligence in trusts
The cost of clinical negligence in trusts is significant and rising fast, placing increasing financial pressure on an already stretched system.
Published:
7 Sep 2017
7 Sep 2017
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Cost reduction and affordability
All public services have to be delivered with lower budgets and show the public that they are affordable. Where government is reducing costs it could benefit from the lessons learnt and good practice identified in the NAO's public sector work. The biggest savings are being made through complete transformation of service delivery, including digital delivery of services. Substantial savings can also be made through specific aspects of financial management, such as reducing fraud and error and better management of assets and liabilities.
There are also risks to making savings, including to long-term innovation and investment. Government needs to ensure the long-term financial and service sustainability of local services, it must maintain strong oversight of contractors, and it should ensure environmental sustainability. Performance measurement is also key to providing the information needed to make crucial decisions.
Key NAO publications: Central government staff costs (Jun 2015); Forecasting in government to achieve value for money (Jan 2014); Evaluation in Government (Dec 2013); and Financial management in government (Jun 2013)
Managing the BBC’s workforce
The BBC’s approach to managing its workforce shows definite progress. It will need to monitor workforce changes carefully to build on the recent progress it has made.
Published:
26 Apr 2017
26 Apr 2017
Progress on the government estate strategy
Departments have continued to reduce their estates and government is now getting better value for money. The Government Property Unit, however, has not yet made much progress towards its more challenging objective of creating an integrated estate.
Published:
25 Apr 2017
25 Apr 2017
The quality of service for personal taxpayers
HMRC aimed to move more customers online thereby reducing staff costs but significant numbers of staff were let go before technical improvements were completed leading to a collapse in service quality in 2015. Services have since improved.
Published:
25 May 2016
25 May 2016
Shared service centres
Government’s programme to transfer back-office functions to two shared service centres has made savings but has not achieved value for money to date.
Published:
20 May 2016
20 May 2016
Managing the welfare cap
The welfare cap is encouraging a greater understanding of spending on some benefits and tax credits across government, but it is important that processes for managing the cap are reliable.
Published:
27 Apr 2016
27 Apr 2016
Use of consultants and temporary staff
Annual spending on consultants and temporary staff has reduced by £1.5 billion since 2010 when strict spending controls were introduced. However, annual spend is now increasing once more and is between £400 million and £600 million higher than in 2011-12.
Published:
13 Jan 2016
13 Jan 2016
Competitive and demand-led grants: good practice guide
The Cabinet Office estimates that government commits around £130 billion to grants each year – nearly 20% of all government spend. Grants are an important delivery mechanism for policy across government, not just centrally but also in agencies, local authorities and other bodies across the public sector.
Published:
26 Nov 2015
26 Nov 2015
The art of spending public money wisely
An interactive summary of the NAO’s presentations at Civil Service Live events, 2015, on four pervasive issues blocking public service improvement.
Published:
7 Oct 2015
7 Oct 2015
Central government staff costs
Staff numbers and costs have reduced significantly in the last five years. Not enough planning, however, has gone into making sure that the reductions are sustainable.
Published:
5 Jun 2015
5 Jun 2015