Fundamental changes and new ways of delivering healthcare are required now to ensure the NHS is able to continue providing high-quality services in the future.

Reducing budgets and more complex cases are putting pressure on Scotland's sheriff court system, Audit Scotland has reported.

Around 88,000 people face prosecution in the sheriff court system every year. Thousands more experience the system as victims, witnesses, prosecutors, defence agents, court staff and the judiciary.

Audit Scotland is consulting on a revised Code of Audit Practice which outlines the responsibilities of our external auditors.

Audit Scotland's vision is to be a world class audit organisation that improves the use of public money. One of the strands of work from our Corporate Plan to help deliver our vision is Securing World Class Audit. The revised Code of Audit Practice and the new audit appointments are significant steps in this journey towards world class and ones that will frame our work over the next few years.

The Auditor General for Scotland, Caroline Gardner, has prepared a report to support the Scottish Parliament's scrutiny of the Scottish Government's 2014/15 accounts.

New responsibilities for taxes, welfare and borrowing - arising from the Scotland Act 2012 and proposals for further financial devolution in the Scotland Bill 2015 - mean that the time is right to strengthen the Parliament’s scrutiny of the Scottish Government's annual consolidated accounts. The Auditor General has provided this new report to support that process.

The Audit Scotland Board has a new chair and member, while three new members have been appointed to the Accounts Commission.

Ian Leitch CBE has taken over as the Chair of the Audit Scotland Board, having joined in April 2014. Professor Russel Griggs OBE has been appointed as an independent, non-executive director of the Board. Further information about the Board can be found on our website here.

The Auditor General for Scotland, Caroline Gardner, has issued reports to the Scottish Parliament on matters raised in the audits of the 2014/15 accounts for NHS 24, NHS Tayside and NHS Highland.

The reports draw Parliament's attention to:

The Auditor General for Scotland, Caroline Gardner, has issued a report to the Scottish Parliament on matters raised in the audit of the 2013/14 accounts for Coatbridge College.

Coatbridge College was one of three colleges that merged to form New College Lanarkshire, as part of the wider college reform programme in Scotland. Whilst Coatbridge College's 2013/14 accounts were unqualified, today's report draws Parliament's attention to serious weaknesses in governance relating to severance arrangements for senior managers and one other member of staff.

Aberdeen City Council has improved how it is run in recent years and has plans for further changes but a great deal more work is needed to deliver these, says the Accounts Commission.

A new report out today examines progress at the council following changes in management structures and political leadership. There have been strained political working relationships in the past and some decisions have proved controversial and raised considerable public interest.

Falkirk Council has identified £46 million of savings it needs to make but has to do a lot more to deliver them, says the Accounts Commission.

A report published today recognises that Falkirk generally delivers a good standard of council services, particularly in education, but the council must make savings of £46 million over the next three years.