Rising demand for public services coupled with a tight funding environment means the need for public service reform is more pressing than ever. In his post-Budget press conference at Bute House last month, John Swinney emphasised that if trust in politics is to be restored, ‘‘we must deliver public services that work better for the people we serve”.

What is clear from a major new Ipsos study is that place makes a considerable difference to how well served people feel by their public services.

Scots’ views on the state of public services will be worrying for Scotland’s politicians and public service leaders. Ipsos’ new research, based on a large-scale survey of more than 20,000 UK adults and using eight MRP models, reveals ongoing dissatisfaction with the state of public services across Scotland.

Over eight in ten Scots (83%) say that public services have got worse in the last five years, higher than the UK average of 75%. The Scottish public are more dissatisfied with the quality of education, public transport, housing and the availability of suitable jobs near to where they live, compared with the average across the UK.

Health services are a perennially important concern for the public. Half of Scots (51%) say they are dissatisfied with the quality of health services provided by local GPs and NHS hospitals – with an identical proportion in England saying the same.

While overall satisfaction with health service quality in Scotland is similar to the UK average, the results point to considerable........

© Herald Scotland