Education and Health and Social Services Transport

A report published today by John Dowdall CB, the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland, examines the progress made by the Department of Health, Social Services, and Public Safety (DHSSPS) and the Department of Education (DE) in dealing with the issues raised in earlier reports by the Westminster Public Accounts Committee and NIAO on transport provision in the Health and Education sectors.

The report found that, for both Departments, implementation of a number of key recommendations remained outstanding, and that while action has been taken to address some of the operational shortcomings identified in the earlier reports, there remain opportunities for further improvements in the way that transport resources are used and in value for money (Executive Summary, paragraphs 2 and 3). In particular, the report concludes that there is scope for the development of a greater consensus on how the transport assets available within the Health and Education sectors might be more effectively coordinated to improve operational efficiency and enhance the services provided to customers (paragraph 2.11).

Cooperation between education and health transport is limited. The coordination initiatives that do exist are at a local level rather than as a matter of policy (paragraph 3.8). Given the budgetary challenges and constraints faced by transport operators in both sectors, the report considers it important to look at the scope for savings through the coordination of services such as sharing vehicles and drivers (paragraphs 3.18 and 3.20).

The report recommends that DE and DHSSPS should take the lead by establishing a joint inter-departmental transport steering group to consider these issues and promote partnership. This steering group could determine where coordinated services might be provided, and could offer guidance and support and facilitate such coordination. The group would have a key role to play in dealing with the legislative and regulatory barriers that may inhibit certain types of coordination. It is likely, also, that the Department of Regional Development and the Department of Environment, who have key interests in transport services, should be invited to engage in such an initiative (paragraph 3.23).

The funding arrangements would require particular attention by the proposed inter-departmental steering group given that the funding streams for school and health transport provision come from two different Departments. However, the report considers that there is no reason why departmental programmes and budgets cannot be modified and funding pooled to encourage joined-up working (paragraph 3.24).

In addition to greater coordination in the operational delivery of transport services, another area of coordination which the report considers deserves consideration is the joint purchasing of vehicles, maintenance and fuel, which is in keeping with current public sector procurement policy (paragraph 3.25). Financial savings can be achieved through joint purchasing arrangements between the health and education transport sectors. The promotion of such joint purchasing arrangements could be part of the remit of the proposed steering group (paragraph 3.29).