Working to make government more effective

Police car overtaking an ambulance

Public services

We examine the performance of public services and make proposals about how they can improve.

The NHS, social care, criminal justice, education and neighbourhood services are key priorities for any government. Our research, events and commentary analyse changes to funding and demand for public services, and the impact of government policies on their performance and on the workforce that delivers them.  

We assess how the performance of public services varies between different parts of the country, identify examples of good practice, and consider why some innovations have worked and other have not, making recommendations for improvement.

We also publish a regular blog ('Week in Public Services') summarising the latest data and developments in health & care, education, criminal justice, and local government.

Performance Tracker 2023

Our flagship report assesses the comparative, and in many cases interconnected, problems faced by critical public services such as the NHS, schools and the police.

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Performance Tracker 2023 front cover