Scottish health minister Susan Deacon is seeking to kick-start the continuing development of local health care cooperatives with a new group to spread best practice.

The group, led by Martin Hill, chief executive of Lanarkshire primary care trust, will pull together the best ideas that have so far been developed within LHCCs. It will have its first meeting on Tuesday and comprise 12 people from the various professional and public bodies involved in each LHCC.

Mr Hill said: 'LHCCs have been running for around a year now and it is clear that a range of different models have emerged in different parts of the country.

'It is right that each area has evolved its own LHCC to reflect its needs. But what we want to do now is to bring all these best ideas together and patch it into the future agenda.'

The group will present a report to Ms Deacon on the way forward in October.

Gill Robertson, RCN professional officer for Lanarkshire, said: 'This is a good thing for LHCCs.We are pleased that the best examples so far, which have been in Lanarkshire, have provided a much greater recognition of staff input.'