Scottish
public services have been left “fragile” and workforces are “tired”, according
to research from a new report delivered by Deloitte and the independent think
tank, Reform.
Findings from The State of the State 2024, an annual report
that examines attitudes to government and public services, also found that
public sector leaders believe that finances - both in Scotland and UK-wide -
are unsustainable, and that the Scottish Government needs to prioritise what it
does and doesn’t do to match aspirations with available resource.
The report included a survey, conducted by Ipsos UK, of 5,815 UK
adults aged 16-75, which included 821 people from Scotland, as well as in depth
interviews with more than 100 leaders from across the public sector.
Some
public sector leaders report only seeing minimal changes made to public
services, or, as one interviewee said, “tinkering around the edges”.
Interviewees also noted the need for structural system-wide reform which will
allow the sector to prioritise, work towards a collective vision, and enhance
its ability to deliver a sector-wide plan for the future.
Several
leaders called for greater investment in preventative measures across public
services, which they sensed had been scaled back due to budget constraints.
However public leaders also pointed to reasons for optimism,
with strengths in higher education, wealth of natural resources and the
potential for net zero transition, the opportunity of which, as pointed out by
one interviewee, is time critical.
Lesley
Smillie, who leads Deloitte’s public sector team in Scotland, said: “Since
2012, the State of the State report has highlighted an ever-growing divergence
between the politics and policies of the devolved administrations and the UK
Government.
“This
year’s report is set against a challenging backdrop, with years of successive
crises, tight budgets and mounting pressure on public finances taking their
toll on our public services and resulting in a tired workforce.
“What
is clear from the report is a real need for systemic change, which can’t solely
be achieved by improved efficiencies and productivity. The public wants greater
stability, and addressing patterns of demand and setting clear priorities will
be essential to provide a glimmer of hope for the Scottish public in the months
ahead.
“It
is worth noting that there are reasons for optimism, however. Trust in the
Scottish Government, although reduced on most metrics this year, remains higher
than the other administrations, and there has been significant progress in the
adoption of digital technologies across the public sector. Many leaders we have
spoken to have ambitious goals for the future, including the use of joined-up
data, interoperable systems and Artificial Intelligence to drive efficiencies
and improve services.”
Cost
of living and NHS top public priorities
For the second year running, the cost-of-living crisis was listed
as the Scottish public’s top concern, mentioned by 82% of people, four
percentage points higher than the UK average. The next biggest issue in both
Scotland and across the rest of the UK was NHS waiting lists, with 74% of the
Scottish public saying they should be a government priority.
Concerns about the state of the country’s
infrastructure rose by eight percentage points in the last year, now mentioned
by 40%. The availability of affordable housing has also risen by six percentage
points, putting it level with climate change and economic growth as a public
priority in Scotland, at 46%.
The
research also found some notable differences in priorities between Scotland and
the rest of the UK. Scotland stands out as the UK nation with the highest
preference towards higher public spending: 36% of Scots want to see higher
taxes to fund improved public services, compared to a UK average of 30%.
Scots are less worried about crime and immigration than those
south of the border, with just 35% of respondents in Scotland wanting the
government to prioritise crime and policing as a priority, compared to 48% in
England. Likewise, 33% of Scots want to prioritise immigration, compared to 45%
in England.
Looking
ahead to the future
The
overall outlook for Scotland was pessimistic, with 63% of people expecting NHS
waiting lists to get worse in the years ahead, 60% expecting the cost-of-living
to worsen, and 57% expecting the availability of affordable housing to get
worse.
Asked
how they would like to see public services improved, the top priority cited by
49% of people in Scotland was ease and speed of
access. The second most popular answer was accountability (38%), while the
third was that people expect services to be the same wherever they live (35%).
This was closely followed by ease of communications (34%), and final quality of
services (33%).
Lower ranking priorities included collaboration with the
private or voluntary sectors, data sharing between agencies, and
personalisation, suggesting that the public has limited interest in the
organisational structure of public services, caring instead about the outcomes
they produce.