Scotland’s public sector has good examples of investment in leadership but many individual organisations do not have clear policies and most are unable to link the spending to improvements in their performance.

Public bodies need to do more to track this investment and make sure it results in better managed organisations and better public services, says Audit Scotland.

The Accounts Commission published its progress report today (Wednesday 30 November) on Inverclyde Council. The report considers the steps taken by the council since June to address concerns highlighted in the Commission’s initial Best Value audit report. The report says the council has made progress on its recovery, but there is still a long way to go. The Commission has asked for a further report charting progress to 31 March 2006.

Scotland’s health service is achieving better clinical outcomes and cutting most waiting times says an Audit Scotland report published today.

The report, An overview of the performance of the NHS in Scotland 2004/05, says that the service has improved the availability of treatment and is successfully tackling prioritised conditions such as cancer, stroke and heart disease. It finds that in other areas performance was mixed and says the NHS needs to improve its financial and workforce management to face future challenges.

An Accounts Commission report published today shows that councils need better information about their funding of external organisations and what is obtained for the money provided.

The report ‘Following the Public Pound’ found that Scottish councils provided £220 million to 14,000 organisations - including companies, trusts and voluntary organisations - to deliver a wide range of council-related services such as support for people with disabilities and the management of leisure centres.

The Auditor General for Scotland has today published his report on the Scottish Executive’s handling of the five-year contract, which commenced in October 2002, to run the lifeline ferry service to the Northern Isles.

The Auditor General asked Audit Scotland to investigate the service following reports in August this year that the total subsidy paid to service operator NorthLink to date had risen substantially. The study examined:

In its Best Value report on Glasgow City Council published today (Thursday 19 January) the Accounts Commission commends Scotland’s largest council for its improvement agenda and its commitment to change. However it acknowledges the challenges facing the council and highlights areas it needs to focus on.

The Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (Funding Council) is making progress on a number of fronts, according to a report published today by the Auditor General for Scotland, Robert Black.

“Financial health has generally improved at both sector and college levels following additional funding and there has been some success with its initiatives to improve college management and the condition of college buildings.”

In its Best Value report on The Moray Council published today (Wednesday, 8 February) the Accounts Commission states that the council is not yet in a position to deliver Best Value to the people it serves.

Commenting on the report’s findings Accounts Commission Deputy Chair Isabelle Low said: “The report describes an inward looking council that has a long way to go to be in a position to deliver Best Value to the people of Moray.

In its report on Best Value at Argyll & Bute Council published today (Tuesday 14 February), the Accounts Commission says that the council needs to do more to ensure that services for local people improve.

The report says that Argyll & Bute Council faces particular challenges because of its geographical make-up and the fact that its population is spread over a wide area. However, even taking this into account, the council needs to do far more to ensure services for local people improve.

The NHS in Scotland has made significant progress towards meeting waiting time targets over recent years but future targets are likely to be challenging.

An Audit Scotland report published today, Tackling Waiting Times in the NHS in Scotland, finds that since 2001 the health service has made good progress in reducing the longest waits for inpatient, day case and outpatient care for people with waiting time guarantees.