The quality of public services is part of the bedrock on which our society and future prosperity depends, and is crucial in shaping a flourishing, productive and equitable Scotland. Public services have the power to improve people's quality of life and enhance their opportunities. It is important, therefore, that they are high quality, efficient, continually improving and responsive to the needs of local people.
This indicator provides an overview of people's satisfaction with public services, based on three types of public services: health services, public transport and schools.
Satisfaction is an indicator of the public's perceptions of service quality; it reflects how it feels to use a service. Increasing people's perception of quality in public services allows us to address all the factors that drive forward customer satisfaction.
In general, people tend to be satisfied when their perceptions of the service they have received matches (or exceeds) their expectations. When the service provided falls below their expectations, they are likely to be dissatisfied.
People's expectations of public services are shaped by a combination of different factors, many of which are outwith the control of the service provider, such as reading or hearing about the service from other sources.
People's perceptions about services they have experienced directly will also likely reflect several aspects of the service, including: accuracy; being treated fairly; sympathetic staff; how long the service takes; the way the service kept its promises; the quality of the final outcome; and the way the service handled any problems.
The Government is committed to: embedding an open and rigorous performance culture within Scotland's public services; ensuring greater clarity around the objectives of public organisations; and establishing clearer lines of accountability that help to bolster standards of service and improve outcomes.
Those who fund public services are entitled to know how public resources are used and to expect that services strive constantly to attain maximum value from every pound. For that reason, the Government has asked all parts of the public sector to report publicly on their plans to improve the value for money achieved by public services, actions undertaken and results achieved.
The indicator will show us nationally that, over a time period, public services are showing they understand people, that they are using performance and other data to drive their work, that the user experience of public services is improving and, crucially, public service providers are providing transparent feedback to users. Tracking public satisfaction is a powerful way of showing how well public services are listening to what people want, that they are improving services accordingly and that they are improving over time.
Rising satisfaction levels will show that people receive the services they really want, rather than what someone else thinks they should have.
The percentage of adults satisfied with local health services, local schools and public transport in 2016 was 56.1%, similar to the level in 2007 of 57.1% (the first year these data were collected). However, levels of satisfaction have decreased from a peak of 66.0% in 2011.
The data is available at the bottom of the page.
Historically, adults living in the 15% most deprived areas of Scotland are more likely to be satisfied with the quality of services than adults in the rest of Scotland. However, this gap has narrowed - in 2016, 58% of adults in the 15% most deprived areas were satisfied with the quality of public services compared to 56% of adults in the rest of Scotland.
Those living in urban areas are more likely to be satisfied with the quality of services than those living in rural areas, with 58% of those living in urban areas satisfied with the quality of services in 2016, compared to 47% of those living in rural areas.
The data is available at the bottom of the page.
The evaluation is based on: any difference within +/- 1.5 percentage points of last year's figure suggests that the position is more likely to be maintaining than showing any change. An increase of 1.5 percentage points or more suggests the position is improving; whereas a decrease of 1.5 percentage points or more suggests the position is worsening.
For information on general methodological approach, please click here.
Scotland Performs Technical Note
Local Authorities
NHS Boards
And all organisations providing public services
Wealthier and Fairer
Smarter
Healthier
Safer and Stronger
Greener