A TOP Scottish health officer has been given an insight into the work of a national health body in North Ayrshire.

Carolyn McDonald, chief AHP (allied health professionals) officer with the Scottish Government visited Ayrshire last month to see the work undertaken by her department locally.

This visit provided a useful opportunity to showcase the positive AHP contribution to the people of the region, and to highlight some of their successes and challenges.

There was a round-table discussion around highlights and areas of challenge where Ms McDonald may be able to influence nationally.

A visit to the imaging department at University Hospital Crosshouse, Kilmarnock, was organised, along with a trip to the North Ayrshire health and social care partnership’s (HSCP) children and young people’s speech and language therapy team.

They saw AHP at Woodland View, the mental health facility and community hospital in Irvine.

The board which runs the HSCP has also received formal notification that a joint inspection of adult support and protection, involving scrutiny of social work, health and police, will start on November 27.