The membership of a national expert group on the health care of older people was announced by Mac Armstrong, Scotland's chief medical officer. The remit of the group is to improve the health care of older people across Scotland and to reduce delays in discharging people from hospital.

Chaired by Armstrong, the 35-strong membership is primarily of health professionals, but includes key representation from social care: Sue Brace, head of planning and commissioning in Edinburgh Council's social work department; Elizabeth Duncan, Scottish executive of Help the Aged; Jim Jackson, chief executive of Alzheimer's Scotland; Paul Lee, area manager with Age Concern Scotland; Rose Templeton, Strathclyde and Renfrewshire Elderly Forums; John Wilkes, director of Carers National Association Scotland, and Oonagh Aitken, chief executive of Cosla.

In announcing the group, Armstrong said: "Membership of the expert group will be inclusive, with patients and carers, specialists and representatives of the voluntary sector and the full spectrum of other interests involved in planning services for older people." Armstrong further indicated that ageism in the NHS would be tackled while Malcolm Chisholm, deputy minister for community care, committed the group to the creation of one-stop clinics.