There is a new organisation running health and social care in Moray.
Representatives from NHS Grampian and the council met as a joint board for the first time yesterday since the integration of services at the beginning of the month.
The two bodies are now jointly responsible for setting priorities for the region.
Among the formal business on the agenda the board also decided what the new merged service should be called – Health and Social Care Moray.
Councillor Lorna Cresswell, chairwoman of the new joint board, described the approach the council and NHS were taking as “bold”.
She said: “As we get older we are living with more and more conditions. We are also living longer with things like diabetes, dementia, cancer and different asthmas.
“It’s natural to be resistant to change but at the same time this is also an opportunity for us to look at how we deliver our services differently.”
The new board takes over from the Moray Health and Social Care Partnership.
Charities and voluntary organisations are also being covered under the new integrated body.
Local authorities and health boards were required to work together from April 1 after a law was passed by the Scottish Government.
The joint board is due to meet every two months.
During the meeting members agreed to set up an employees’ forum and management procedures were also set up.
Presentations were made about a housing development in Forres and how bosses were going to support staff.
Mrs Cresswell said: “From my point of view a lot of the work needed to get to where we are has been quite onerous, but now we can get to the real development of how we deliver our services.”