@auditscotland.bsky.social
We help the Auditor General and the Accounts Commission ensure that public money is spent efficiently and effectively. https://bit.ly/Our_SM_Policy
Staff are councils’ most important resource.
But they face challenges in recruiting and retaining, and sickness absence rates are at a record high.
Urgent progress with workforce plans is needed to protect services and financial stability.
The Accounts Commission report: bit.ly/Workforce_Th...
The Accounts Commission's report on East Lothian Council is available on the Audit Scotland website: bit.ly/East_Lothian_Council_2025
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The Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) has published a blog summarising all our audit work on climate change that has been considered by the Public Audit Committee, and the key themes emerging from it.
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Text says: John Cornett appointed CIPFA President. Image: head and shoulders photo of John Cornett.
Audit Scotland’s John Cornett has been confirmed as the new President of The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Scotland.
There's more about John's appointment on the Audit Scotland website: bit.ly/John_Cornett_CIPFA_Scotland_President
Text says: Annual report and accounts 2024/25. Image: large Audit Scotland logo, consisting of a blue checkmark (tick) inside a blue circle.
Image of several icons with numbers and text below them. Icons: a checkmark (tick); the map of Scotland; a rising bar graph; a sheet of paper in a document style; and a pound sign. Text says: 2024/25 in numbers: 253 Accounts audited, 10 National and local performance reports, 17 Technical guides, £52.9bn Payments under Comptroller function.
Text says: “The impact of robust, independent and reliable public audit is crucial for taxpayers, users of public services and decision-makers. At its heart, public audit drives accountability and transparency about public finances. This in turn empowers good governance of the almost £60 billion of annual public spending in Scotland.” Colin Crosby, Chair of the Audit Scotland Board.
Public bodies and services are under significant financial strain.
Our efforts to ensure transparency and accountability are more important than ever.
The Audit Scotland annual report is out now: bit.ly/Annual_Report_2024_2025
Costs and demand for services are increasing.
The council needs to ensure it delivers on the next phase of its longer-term plan to reform how services are delivered.
The Accounts Commission report: bit.ly/Renfrewshire...
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Text says: Best Value - Renfrewshire Council. Image: a blue icon representing the borders of Renfrewshire Council. In the background are four other icons in a lighter blue: a pound sign, a magnifying glass, people and cogs.
Many services are performing well, including education and tackling delayed discharges from hospital.
But as financial pressures mount, the council needs to work with residents to take the tough spending decisions now required.
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Renfrewshire Council has a strong commitment to improving, with progress made to address actions on Dargavel Village school accommodation.
It's managed money responsibly. But like all councils, it faces significant financial pressures across services.
Report: bit.ly/Renfrewshire_Council_2025
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NHS Scotland’s governance arrangements need to be strengthened to deliver the scale of reform needed across the health service.
Read the Auditor General's new report: bit.ly/NHS_Governance_2025
Text says: Future work. Image: A magnifying glass on top of a sheet of paper. On the paper is a partially visible line graph.
Later this year, the Auditor General plans to release a report on the impact of devolved taxes on fiscal sustainability in Scotland.
Read the audit scope on our website: bit.ly/Fiscal_Sustainability_and_Tax_audit_scope
Text says: Briefing. Local government budgets 2025/26. Image: 13 £1 coins scattered on a blue and yellow background.
Mounting pressures from inflation, increasing costs and demand are exceeding the Scottish Government’s additional investment in Scotland’s councils.
Read the Accounts Commission's latest report on the finances of Scotland's councils: bit.ly/Local_Govern...
The Scottish National Investment Bank has been well run to date.
But it will not be able to end its reliance on public funding unless ministers can make a case for UK Treasury rules to change.
New Auditor General report: bit.ly/Scottish_National_Investment_Bank
On Thursday, the Auditor General will report on the performance of the Scottish National Investment Bank.
If you’re not familiar with the bank, this short video will tell you more about its purpose.
Find out about the focus of the report: bit.ly/Scottish_National_Investment_Bank_audit_scope
Image: Report cover of Diversity, equality and inclusion strategy 2025–29 and image of the webpage for Mainstreaming equality progress report 2023-25.
We have published our Diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) strategy 2025–29 and Mainstreaming equality progress report 2023-25.
You can read both at the links below:
bit.ly/Diversity_Eq...
bit.ly/Mainstreamin...
Text says: “The pace at which some services are improving is now slower compared to other councils. Using robust data, the Highland Council needs to keep things moving forward and look for new ways to improve.” Jo Armstrong, Chair of the Accounts Commission. Image: head and shoulders photo of Jo Armstrong.
The Highland Council needs to use data and insight to ensure plans deliver on the promised improvements, including services.
Having a workforce with the necessary digital skills and capacity to deliver on the council’s ambitions is critical.
More: bit.ly/The_Highland_Council_2025
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Councillors and senior officers at the Highland Council need to be confident that their ambitious plans for the region are affordable.
Borrowing costs are high compared to the Scottish average.
New report by the Accounts Commission: bit.ly/The_Highland_Council_2025
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Text says: Future work. Image: Two hands hold a heart-shaped cutout featuring silhouettes of five people. The background of the image is light green. In the bottom right corner of the image is the Audit Scotland logo.
It's forecast that the funding gap for Adult Disability Payment will rise to £491m by 2028/29.
An upcoming Auditor General report will provide insight into implementation, recommendations on delivery, and affordability.
Publication is planned for autumn: bit.ly/Social_Secur...
Three images are overlaid – two report covers and one logo. On the left, partially obscured by the report above it, is the report cover for ‘General practice - Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract’. The cover includes an image of a hand building a tower of wooden blocks. The blocks form a pyramid-like structure, with the hand holding the topmost block, which contains a large plus sign (+). The blocks beneath it show various medical-related icons. Row two (left to right): a stethoscope and a heart monitor. Row three is obscured. Row four (left to right) is partially obscured: a syringe, a person using a wheelchair, pills and a final block which is fully obscured. The centre report page is partially obscured by a logo to the right. This report cover has the text ‘Easy read summary - General practice. What has happened since the 2018 GP contract?’. The image features a graphic of a doctor and patient sitting in an examination room and a person holding open a large piece of paper. On the paper in large letters is ‘easy read’. The image on the right is a circle. It displays a graphic resembling an open book, with the words ‘Easy read summary’ below it.
Did you know we have an easy read version of the recent Auditor General report on general practice services in Scotland?
The six-page summary is available on our website: bit.ly/General_Practice_easy_read_summary
Image of a partially obscured Accounts Commission banner.
The Accounts Commission's next meeting takes place this Thursday, where members will discuss an upcoming report on The Highland Council.
Attendance at the public session is warmly welcomed. You can register for the Microsoft Teams event here: bit.ly/Accounts_Commission_2025_meetings
Text says: Best Value - Argyll and Bute Council. Image: aerial photo of Oban seafront.
Temporary and agency staff make up around 16% of the council’s workforce.
The majority leave before the end of their contract.
This is expensive and presents risks to the quality of services.
But the council is taking proactive steps to tackle recruitment and retention.
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Text says: "Argyll and Bute Council has tackled the challenges it faces with innovation and collaboration. It now needs to rapidly build on this culture of improvement to drive forward deeper transformation." Andrew Burns, Accounts Commission Deputy Chair. Image: Head and shoulders photo of Andrew Burns.
The council has delivered significant, recurring savings at a time when all councils are facing pressures.
Now it needs to take a more strategic approach to transformation and redesigning services.
It must also listen to and act on the views of local communities.
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New Accounts Commission report: Argyll and Bute Council
@argyllandbute.bsky.social has a long-standing culture of innovation.
It can harness this as it looks to close a funding gap of nearly £29 million.
There's more on the Audit Scotland website: bit.ly/Argyll_and_Bute_2025
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Text says: Blog. Expectation, demand and reality – the context of recent Council Tax rises in Scotland. Jo Armstrong, Chair of Accounts Commission. Image: Two wooden figures of a small house and a percentage sign are situated in the bottom right quadrant of the graphic. The figures are on a wooden table. Only the tabletop is visible. On the right of the image is a head and shoulders photo of Jo Armstrong, enclosed in a small circle.
New blog by the Chair of the Accounts Commission.
Jo Armstrong sets the context for council tax rises in Scotland, with local expectations, increasing demand and financial challenge all intensifying.
Read it here: bit.ly/Council_Tax_rises_in_Scotland_blog
The new report from the Auditor General is out now: bit.ly/General_prac...
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Text says: 69% of people rated the care provided by their general practice as excellent or good, down by 14 percentage points since 2017/18. Image in top left corner: a down-pointing arrow in a plum hue. Image in top right corner: icons representing a survey and a person in a light blue hue.
Patients reported feeling less satisfied about the care provided by their general practice in response to the 2023/24 Health and Care Experience Survey.
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Text says: General practice. Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract. Image: In the foreground is a stack of small, light brown wooden blocks, each displaying a medical symbol in a dark blue hue. The blocks form a pyramid-like structure, with one hand holding the topmost block, which contains a large plus sign (+). The blocks beneath it show various medical-related icons. Row two (left to right): a stethoscope and a heart monitor. Row three (left to right): a drop of blood, a doctor or nurse figure and a plaster. Row four (left to right): a syringe, a person using a wheelchair, pills and a medical bag. The background is a soft, light blue hue. A blurred medical professional's uniform is visible. Their hand, arm and part of their upper body is visible in the photo.
The proportion of NHS spending on general practice has fallen slightly in recent years.
In January, the First Minister committed to increase the proportion of new NHS funding going to primary and community care.
But there's been a lack of detail on general practice’s share.
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Image: Close-up view of a person's hands being held in another person's hands. Only the upper bodies of both people are visible in the photo. The person on the left is seated, facing the camera. They are wearing a blue scrubs-style top and have their hands clasped around the hands of the person on the right. The person on the right is seated, with their back to the camera. They are wearing a long-sleeved white shirt. A portion of a stethoscope is visible, draped on the shoulders of the person on the left.
General practice plays a critical role in the Scottish Government's ambition to improve the population’s health and reduce health inequalities.
On Thursday, the Auditor General reports on how well general practice is performing.
The audit scope has full details: bit.ly/General_Practice_audit_scope
Text says: Future Work. Image: a one-pound coin on top of a green line graph.
The Scottish National Investment Bank was set up to create economic, social and environmental improvements through investment.
In spring 2025, our audit will assess the clarity of its purpose, and how well it’s establishing itself.
More here: bit.ly/Scottish_National_Investment_Bank_audit_scope
Text says: Future Work. Image of small island surrounded by sea with house on it.
Around 284,000 homes and premises in Scotland are at risk from flooding, with numbers expected to increase.
In autumn 2025, the Accounts Commission and Auditor General will examine how public bodies are working with communities to build resilience.
More here: bit.ly/Flood_Resilience_audit_scope
Screenshot of Integration Joint Boards interactive data tool.
On behalf of the Accounts Commission, Audit Scotland has produced analysis of Integration Joint Boards’ annual accounts for 23/24 and the annual audit reports produced by local auditors.
The data and analysis is published as an interactive online tool.
Try it at: bit.ly/Integration_...
