It will seek views from a selected list of organisations and also invites responses from other interested bodies on the issues.

The Committee has agreed to focus its inquiry on care of the elderly and mental health. In particular the committee was interested in considering the following in the context of care of the elderly and mental health:

1. Issues arising from the Sutherland Report;
2. Resource Transfer issues;
3. The co-ordination of services between Health Boards and Local Authorities;
4. Particular examples of best practice;
5. Views on the best means of delivering the most appropriate care to patients.

Mrs Margaret Smith MSP, the Convener of the Committee said:

"We are determined to seek out the best means of delivering the most appropriate care to patients. We are focusing on mental health and long term care for the elderly and in so doing, will look afresh at the Sutherland Report.

"We are asking practitioners, health and social workers, local authorities and users to identify examples of best practice"

The Committee is seeking written views by Monday 8 November 1999. It is expected that oral evidence sessions will take place in January 2000.

Written evidence of up to five A4 pages should be submitted by email or on computer disk in word 97 with a single additional hard copy. Witnesses without access to a computer are requested to submit evidence in hard copy to the Committee Office. Evidence should be submitted to the email or committee address no later than Monday 8 November 1999. Late submissions will only be accepted by prior agreement with the Committee.

Committee email address: health@scottish.parliament.uk

Committee postal address:

The Clerk to the Health and Community Care Committee, Room 3.01 Committee Chambers, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP.

BACKGROUND NOTES

The committee’s membership is as follows:

Malcolm Chisholm, Dorothy-Grace Elder, Duncan Hamilton, Hugh Henry, Margaret Jamieson, Irene Oldfather, Mary Scanlon, Richard Simpson, Margaret Smith (Convener), Kay Ullrich, Ben Wallace.