Audit Scotland

Audit Scotland

Government Administration

Edinburgh, Scotland 5,089 followers

We help the Auditor General and the Accounts Commission ensure that public money is spent efficiently and effectively.

About us

Audit Scotland is a statutory body set up in April 2000 under the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000. We help the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission check that organisations spending public money use it properly, efficiently and effectively. The Auditor General for Scotland secures the audit of the Scottish Government and other public bodies in Scotland, except local authorities, and is independent of the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament. The Accounts Commission checks how well Scotland’s local authorities perform. It operates independently of local and central government. https://bit.ly/Our_Social_Media_Policy

Website
https://www.audit.scot
Industry
Government Administration
Company size
201-500 employees
Headquarters
Edinburgh, Scotland
Type
Government Agency
Founded
2000

Locations

Employees at Audit Scotland

Updates

  • The Auditor General has published his annual report on the performance of the NHS in Scotland.  In it, he says that The Scottish Government needs a delivery plan that clearly explains to the public how it will reform the NHS and address the pressures on services.  Despite increasing funding and staffing, the NHS in Scotland is still seeing fewer patients than before the Covid-19 pandemic.  Auditors found that:  - commitments to reducing waiting lists and times have not been met; - the number of people remaining in hospital because their discharge has been delayed is the highest on record; - and NHS initiatives to improve productivity and patient outcomes have yet to have an impact and lack clear progress reporting.  Health accounts for about 40 per cent of the Scottish budget. Funding grew again in 2023/24 but has mostly been used to cover pay commitments and inflation. Costs are forecast to continue rising and making savings remains challenging. Work to build new healthcare facilities also remains paused.  The Scottish Government’s restated vision for health and social care is not clear on how these operational pressures on the NHS will be addressed or how reform will be prioritised. It needs to work with NHS staff, partners and the public to set out a clear delivery plan and make tough decisions about how it may change or potentially even stop some services. Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland: “To safeguard the NHS, a fundamental change in how services are provided remains urgent. The Scottish Government needs to set out clearly to the public and the health service how it will deliver reform, including how progress will be measured and monitored.  “Difficult decisions are needed about making services more efficient or, potentially, withdrawing those services with more limited clinical value to allow funding to be re-directed. Taking those steps will require greater leadership from Scottish Government and NHS leaders than we’ve seen to date.”  Read the full report at: https://lnkd.in/ean4nHyi

    • Image is an illustration of the cover of the report 'NHS in Scotland 2024'. Title text on the image says: NHS in Scotland 2024 - Finance and performance. The image on the report cover is of a corridor in a hospital. There are three people in medical scrubs in the distance. They are facing away from the camera. The image is blurred to give the impression of speed/activity.
  • New report from the Accounts Commission: Scottish Borders Council. Scottish Borders Council is continuously improving, taking innovative approaches to making savings and tackling recruitment challenges. With increased demand and less money to spend, this focus on reform is vital for all councils in Scotland. In its new report, the Accounts Commission says the council has a clear vision for the future, reforming how it works to respond to many of the challenges it faces, including its geography and ageing population. With an impressive approach to managing its money, the council has a strong track record of planning and delivering on savings. Now, this approach needs to shift to focus on recurring, rather than one-off savings, helping ensure greater financial stability. Recognising that significant savings still need to be made, the council is taking a refreshed approach to transforming how services will be delivered - the SBC Way. This is supported by a new ‘self-replenishing’ fund which will see savings made invested in other projects to reform services. Now this programme needs to deliver on the required payback and ongoing savings, at the pace required to meet the council’s budget shortfall. The council must improve reporting on timescales and expected benefits, whilst ensuring local communities are involved in the changes ahead. Jo Armstrong, Chair of the Accounts Commission.: “Scottish Borders Council is tackling the challenges it faces with innovation, drive and focus. The council is looking externally, with a willingness to work collaboratively with other councils and organisations. It is making impressive strides to deliver differently. "Other councils can learn from the approach taken to tackle workforce and recruitment challenges, as well as its strong approach to managing its finances. "Like all councils in Scotland, the council must continue to prioritise reform to meet growing demand and ongoing financial pressures. It’s very early days for its new transformation programme and we will watch how it develops with interest. Now it’s vital that local people have a stronger voice in the changes ahead.” Read the Accounts Commission’s latest report: https://lnkd.in/eJ2i3WPD

  • Next month, the Auditor General will report on the performance of the NHS in Scotland. This publication will focus on financial and operational performances, challenges faced, and progress against recommendations from our last annual report. This will include performance against national commitments, such as the waiting time standard, and medium-term financial outlooks for NHS Scotland. Additionally, the Auditor General will be publishing our first Spotlight report, planned for Spring 2025, which will consider NHS Scotland’s governance and scrutiny arrangements. The Spotlight will look at the implementation and roll out of the revised Blueprint for Good Governance, the role of Non-Executive Board members, the Scottish Governments governance arrangements, and the new framework agreed between the Scottish Government and NHS boards. You can read more on the scope here: https://lnkd.in/eQBSUqEZ Our previous annual report reflected on the need for short-, medium- and long-term investment and reform to ensure the sustainability of the NHS in Scotland. You can read it here: https://lnkd.in/eEf3KnV6

    • Text says: Future work. 
Image of a calculator and a stethoscope.
  • View organization page for Audit Scotland, graphic

    5,089 followers

    Last week was another busy one for the Accounts Commission. Deputy Chair, Andrew Burns and Audit Director, Blyth Deans were invited to meet with representatives from the three Ayrshire councils to discuss the recent report on transformation in councils. Whilst councils have been reforming how they deliver services for years, the report focuses on the increasingly urgent need to increase the pace of change. It urges councils to listen and act on the views of local communities as they re-shape how they deliver services for the future, to manage the pressure of financial and service demand. You can read the report here: https://lnkd.in/ens6Q6Wc During their visit, Andrew and Blyth heard about the exciting work that East Ayrshire Council, North Ayrshire Council and South Ayrshire Council are exploring together to transform services. And on the east coast, Jo Armstrong, Ruth MacLeod and Derek Yule met with the Leader of The City of Edinburgh Council, Cammy Day and the council's Management Team. They discussed the Council's ambitions around net zero and poverty and what the Commission is looking for in relation to the Council's transformation of services. This includes engaging with communities and reporting on progress. Find out more at: https://lnkd.in/enCGHQRD

    • Image of four people standing. They are looking at the camera. They are, from left to right: Ruth MacLeod, Cammy Day, Jo Armstrong and Derek Yule. Behind them are three seats and there is a modern art painting behind them on the wall.
    • Image of three people standing outside Edinburgh City Chambers in the early evening. They are looking at the camera. The people are, from left to right, Derek Yule, Jo Armstrong and Ruth MacLeod. Behind them is a glass entry door. Above it is a sign with the words 'CITY CHAMBERS'. The lettering is gold on a black background with a gold  border. On the right of the image is a red post box.
    • Image of two people looking at the camera. They are Andrew Burns and Blyth Deans. They are standing in front of a wall in a corridor at Ayrshire College. On the wall are various blue and white plaques.
  • View organization page for Audit Scotland, graphic

    5,089 followers

    Your Friday read: The Scottish Government spending forecast, 2027-2068. The longer-term increases in Scottish Government spending that are projected are driven largely by changes in spending on health. Over the course of the next 50 years, health is expected to take up an increasing share, growing from 35 to 50 per cent of devolved public spending.   Yesterday, the Auditor General published ‘Fiscal sustainability and reform in Scotland’. Exhibit 3 is included in the report. To read the full publication, visit: https://lnkd.in/ejm6GfKt

    • Text says: Exhibit 3. Spending on the devolved Scottish public sector is forecast to increase significantly over the long term.

The image is a graph showing projected spending on the devolved Scottish public sector from 2027-28 to 2067-68.
  • Audit Scotland reposted this

    View profile for Cornilius Chikwama, graphic

    Experienced Public Sector Senior Economist | In role of Audit Director - Performance Audit and Best Value Group, Audit Scotland Economic Development; Infrastructure and Investment; Climate Change, Energy & Environment

    Today I joined the Auditor General for Scotland to give evidence to the The Scottish Parliament’s Public Audit Committee on the report he published with the Accounts Commission on Alcohol and Drug Services in Scotland. The report covered: ⏹️Leadership and delivery of national policy ⏹️How services are responding to need ⏹️Funding of services. A link to the recording of Public Audit Committee’s evidence session is available here: https://lnkd.in/deZ9cV75 #Audit Scotland #The Scottish Parliament #Scotland #drugs #alcohol #harm

    Public Audit Committee | Scottish Parliament TV

    Public Audit Committee | Scottish Parliament TV

    scottishparliament.tv

  • New report from the Auditor General: Fiscal sustainability and reform in Scotland. The Scottish Government continues to take short-term spending decisions. This has been effective in balancing the budget. But it risks disrupting services and restricting progress towards better long-term outcomes. In the last three years, pay decisions have led to extra financial pressures. For 2024/25, pay deals have been met with one-off sources of funding. The Scottish Government predicts shortfalls in coming years. But it does not know how higher spending will be funded. The Scottish Government hasn't been clear enough with the Scottish Parliament or the public about the current fiscal situation. There's not been enough communication of medium-term risks and what choices it must make to balance its budget. Read the Auditor General’s new report: https://lnkd.in/ejm6GfKt 

    • Text says: “A fundamental change is needed to how public money is spent, to ensure services can meet demand and remain affordable beyond the short-term.” Stephen Boyle, Auditor General.

Image: Head-and-shoulders image of Stephen Boyle.
  • Career opportunity with Audit Scotland: R/R Shiny Developer Our Innovation and Quality is looking for a data analyst with R/R Shiny experience. As part of the Digital Audit Team, you will be assisting in the modernisation of our audit approaches, data analytics tools, and guidance. The successful applicant will have strong knowledge of R and R Shiny, practical and theoretical knowledge of statistical analysis, and experience of designing, building and testing data products. Find out more at: https://lnkd.in/eH8VGiYg #r #rprogramming #rstats #dataanalyst #dataanalytics

    • Text says: R/R Shiny Developer. Our innovation and quality team is looking for a data analyst with experience using R/R Shiny. £34,174 to £44,025 per annum. Closing Date: Sunday 1 December 2024.
  • Career opportunity with Audit Scotland: Corporate Support Assistant Our Business Support Services team is looking for a Corporate Support Assistant to help our offices run efficiently. Working within a multi-disciplinary team, you will be providing professional and welcoming reception and facilities service at our Edinburgh and Glasgow offices. The successful applicant will have experience providing reception services and working in a fast-paced business support environment. Find out more at: https://lnkd.in/eTEHMvk9

    • Text says: Corporate Support Assistant. Our Business Support Assistant to help our offices run efficiently. £29,463 to £31,572 per annum. Closing Date: Sunday 1 December 2024

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