Reports published today on people’s views of public services, based on information from the 2008 Living in Wales survey, show that overall, satisfaction levels across a range of public services areas were high, with most commenting particularly positively on the contact they had with public service staff.  

The survey questioned citizens face to face about different aspects of:

• GP Surgery Services
• NHS Hospital Services
• Local Bus Services
• Local Recycling Facilities
• Sport and Leisure Facilities

They were also asked about their engagement and participation with:

• Local Authority Services
• Local Health Services

Launching the findings, Andrew Davies, Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery said:  

“Our approach to improving public services as set out in the One Wales agreement places the citizen at the centre of the way in which services are designed and delivered. Only by listening will we and our partners be able to provide services that are responsive and easy to access for the citizens of Wales.

"In the current economic climate we need improve services by more efficient and working smarter – looking for innovative ways to improve services without cutting costs.

“Research such as this allows us to explore people’s attitudes and opinions. Feedback is crucial if we are to continue to improve and shape modern services that deliver for Wales.

“However, despite the high levels of overall satisfaction, there are still some aspects which could be improved. It is now three years since we issued our response to the Beecham report into improving public services in Wales, and in that time we have seen real progress towards greater collaboration to deliver better services. However, this change needs to be ongoing and there is still more to be done.

“It is important that we use this information to identify any areas for improvement in the way that public services are delivered.  With public finances being much tighter for the foreseeable future, we need to look at how services are delivered and work together to ensure they continue to improve and provide more value for the Welsh pound.  By listening to the views of our citizens we can work in partnership to drive forward public service improvement and provide the first class public services that the people of Wales deserve.”

The 2008 reports are the third set of Citizens Views reports. The first phase, which covered the same service areas, was conducted in 2006. These 2008 reports therefore provide comparisons with the 2006 findings.

From 2009-10 the Living in Wales survey will be replaced with a new National Survey for Wales, which will be on a larger scale.