SOUTH Ayrshire council have yet to take a decision on plans to merge Ayrshire's three Health and Social Care Parterships.

But discussions are already underway with a view to integrating East and North Ayrshire's partnerships with the NHS.

At the moment, the three Ayrshire local authorities have formed their own partnerships with NHS Ayrshire and Arran and the independent sector.

The organisations manage and monitor the bringing together of community health and social care services, contribute to the NHS local delivery plan, lead on health and wellbeing and contribute to the success of partnerships between similar organisations including many community and voluntary organisations.

Now talks have started with a view to merging the three partnerships to form an integrated Ayrshire-wide organisation.

So far north Ayrshire and East Ayrshire have agreed to consider joint working.

A spokesperson for North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership said: “By law, Health and Social Care Partnerships require to be reviewed at least every five years under the Integration Scheme that governs their operations.

“In Ayrshire, the three Health and Social Care Partnerships are in now their third year of operation, and are currently developing their new three-year strategic plans for 2018-2021. On that basis, it was felt to be an opportune time to bring forward the review of the Integration Schemes.

“Our Health and Social Care Partnership in North Ayrshire - the first in Scotland to be legally constituted - has delivered significant change and improvement in its first few years.

“The review will allow us to explore whether additional improvements could be achieved through further joint-working across Ayrshire.

“North and East Ayrshire Councils and NHS Ayrshire and Arran have agreed to a review of the Integration Schemes in both areas and consultation will take place over the next few months with a variety of key stakeholders.

"To date, South Ayrshire Council has not taken a decision to review the Integration Scheme.”