30.09.2013
The Health and Sport Committee will today visit West Lothian to inform their scrutiny of legislation that integrates health and social care in Scotland.
The Public Bodies (Joint Working) Scotland Bill aims to ensure that the health and social care systems in Scotland work together to ensure people are not delayed in hospital unnecessarily and increase the amount of care provided at home to maintain independence and improve quality of life.
The visit will be chaired by the West Lothian Executive Councillor for Health and Care Anne McMillan.
Members will see how integration of health and social care works on the front line. They will visit REACT - the Rapid Elderly Assessment Care and Treatment Team and Reablement/Crisis Care in St John’s Hospital and then visit Strathbrock Partnership Centre in Broxburn and hear about their exercise referral scheme. Members of the Committee will travel to the Civic Centre to learn about the Mental Wellbeing Steering Group for Children and Young People.
MSPs will later make their way to Edinburgh to hear from service users of the Lothian Centre for Independent Living about their opinions on how integrated care affects their lives.