Hospitals, schools and councils are all facing radical reform, but the funding systems imposed to achieve this are far from joined up. Tony Travers points out the contrasting philosophies and calls...
The revelation this week that more than 1 million pupils are being taught in poorly performing schools has underlined the need for robust local authority involvement, according to town hall leaders.
The Department for Education and Skills is putting 'unreasonable pressure' on councils in an effort to push through the controversial academy schools programme, a teaching union claims.
Inadequate performance management systems and a lack of leadership from elected members are hobbling attempts to modernise the fire service, the Audit Commission has warned.
Private developers bidding for grant to build new homes have had difficulty demonstrating that their bids represented value for money, the Housing Corporation said this week.
Proposals for neighbourhood bodies drawing inspiration from the French commune model may be outlined when the government publishes its local government white paper later this year, David Miliband has...
The future of large NHS Private Finance Initiative schemes has been questioned after the Department of Health ordered a review of the biggest PFI deal to date.
Public sector managers have been urged to make a New Year's resolution to work towards a better future for mental health, one in which services are better integrated and people are supported in the...
James Strachan is to leave the Audit Commission later this month following controversy over last month's Comprehensive Performance Assessment results, it has been announced.
England's councils met the government's ambitious target to 'e-enable' their main services by the end of 2005, according to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
The detox diets and gym memberships will soon be history. But for Public Finance 's panel of public sector experts, the New Year challenges have only just begun.
What goes around comes around. For decades, small-scale government was all the rage. Now large centralised public agencies are back in fashion. Colin Talbot and Carole Johnson investigate the merger...
Are Comprehensive Performance Assessments local government's very own I'm a celebrity contest a desperate scrabble for stars and praise or a helpful catalyst for improvement? Phil Swann...
With the NHS running an unhealthily large deficit, the government is sending in hit squads to sort out the problems. But do they have the right prescription? Seamus Ward investigates
Audit Scotland has published new guidance on the issues and risks faced by public bodies in the latest stage of its efforts to modernise the scrutiny process.
Local authorities remain on course to meet their Gershon efficiency targets for 2005/06 with just three months of this financial year remaining, the latest analysis from the Office of the Deputy...
Ministers are being challenged to commit themselves to a major increase in social housing after new figures showed the number of families without permanent homes still exceeds 100,000.
Health minister Lord Warner stunned delegates at the Healthcare Financial Management Association annual conference by blaming the health service's financial problems on managers.
The time is ripe for a wide-ranging debate on the case for devolving more powers to councils, Sir Michael Lyons said this week as he issued the interim report of his inquiry into local government.
Patients are 25% more likely to develop post-operative complications after being treated in one of the new privately run treatment centres than in their NHS equivalents, clinical directors claim.
