Health sector impact reports 2009/10

22 September 2009 for the Auditor General

This follows up our 2005 report A Scottish prescription – Managing the use of medicines in hospital. Almost all patients in hospital take medicine and this costs the health service more than £220 million a year. The National Health Service (NHS) is working hard to make sure medicines are used safely in hospitals and patients get medicines that will benefit them most. Its also getting better at planning its budgets for new medicines. But hospitals need better information on which medicines are being used to treat different conditions to make sure they’re providing even better care for patients.

26 August 2009 for the Auditor General / Accounts Commission

The report found that in 2007/08 the public sector in Scotland spent £173 million on drug and alcohol services, but that the wider costs to society are estimated at £5 billion a year. It found that spending decisions are not always based on evidence of what works or what is needed and that there are no national minimum standards in terms of range, choice or accessibility for drug and alcohol services.

18 August 2009 for the Auditor General

The report looked at how much the new General Practitioner (GP) contract cost and the impact it had on patients, GPs and the wider National Health Service (NHS). The report concluded that the contract was not well planned and cost more than expected. There is evidence of improvement for some patients but it will take time to secure wider patient benefits from the new contract.

12 May 2009 for the Auditor General / Accounts Commission

The report concluded that services for people with long-term conditions are improving but there is considerable progress to be made to provide cost-effective, community-based care.

12 May 2009 for the Auditor General

This is the first overview of activity, costs and quality of specialist and general palliative care across Scotland. The report found that good quality palliative care is not available to everyone who needs it.

12 May 2009 for the Auditor General

The report examined primary care out-of-hours services following the introduction of the new GP contract in 2004, which allowed GP practices to opt out of providing 24-hour care to patients. The report found that the NHS has worked hard to maintain out-of-hours services for patients and, according to our survey results, most patients are satisfied with the care that they get.