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.

Fixing public services: Priorities for the new Labour government

The government’s status quo spending plans from April 2025 onwards will likely mean that all services other than general practice, hospitals and schools could be performing worse in 2027/28 than in 2019.

Read the report
NHS Nurses stage walkout in front of University College London Hospital, London.

Darzi’s NHS diagnosis is largely right – now the government needs to act

The Darzi report creates opportunity and risk for Keir Starmer and the government.

Read the comment
Starmer at the Kings Fund