The public service environment has changed
significantly since the Audit Commission first started work
in 1983. The Commission itself has been given new tasks
and responsibilities during that time, now consolidated
in the Audit Commission Act 1998.
The establishment of the National Assembly for Wales has
been a catalyst for further changes to the framework within
which public services operate, and has set a challenging
agenda.
For the NHS, developments include:
- the ending of the internal market;
- a new duty of clinical governance for trusts;
- the introduction of a Commission for Health Improvement
to oversee healthcare standards in the NHS; and
- new local health groups (LHGs) to improve local primary
and community services.
In Wales, the NHS Plan Improving
Health in Wales has also placed a fresh focus on
service delivery standards and options for improved working.
For local government, developments include:
- the modernisation agenda, encompassing the establishment
of community strategies, new political structures, ethical
frameworks and policy agreements with the National Assembly
of Wales;
- a duty to promote economic, social and environmental
"well-being";
- a duty to obtain best value for taxpayers and service
users;
- beacon councils and services; and
- new decision-making structures.
The Commission is committed to responding to and supporting
the change agenda in Wales and to working closely with the
National Assembly, authorities, trusts, LHGs, and other
representative organisations. It is also committed to consulting
its stakeholders to ensure that their views are taken into
consideration.
The Commission will continue to concentrate on its primary
role of protecting and promoting the interests of citizens
and service users. As these changes in local government
and the NHS take effect, they can only serve to reinforce
the emphasis on obtaining best value for citizens in Wales
that has always been at the heart of the Commission's work.
Our latest strategy:Delivering
Improvement Together (2001-2004) underpins the Commission's
specific strategic approach to Wales. |