Labour MSP Colin Smyth asks about the governance arrangements and oversight of the constituent parts of Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

He also asks how independently the Scottish Health Council is run from HIS.

Dame Denise says that the main governance arrangements are "relatively straightforward", but that new duties to provide governance across local areas has created a "much more complex arrangement". 

On the issue of the Scottish Health Council, Dame Denise says that it is performance managed by HIS and that she has commissioned a review of the work of the health council - saying that the voice of patients cannot be dealt with by just one part of Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

Committee convener Neil Findlay asks how HIS knows that its work is impacting on improvement or not. 

Dame Denise responds that she believes targets are best improved by pushing work "upstream" - going on to tell MSPs that if nothing changes in the running of acute and chronic care, "we will continue to fail". 

"We have to change how we run healthcare in Scotland" she says. 

The health of children in Scotland is among the worst in Europe, according to a major new study.

An "alarming" gap between rich and poor is risking the health of the youngest generation, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) report warns.

It calls for bold action on smoking, obesity and child poverty.

The Scottish government said it was committed to ensuring the best start in life for children.

Image source, bbc

Committee convener and Labour MSP Neil Findlay says the NHS has missed seven out of eight of its key national performance targets and asks if HIS is succeeding or failing.

Dame Denise says HIS is trying to look at the overall picture.

She says there is a review of the targets and there are challenging times ahead.

Robbie Pearson says the Audit Scotland report was quite stark.

Image source, SPL:

Dame Denise says when you start fixing mental health you know you are in a civilised society.

She says that people are at the heart of the HIS service.

The HIS chairman says the organisation conducts robust unannounced inspections. 

She says HIS is able to see the entire health jigsaw and it has a crucial role in ensuring health services are sustainable. 

Dame Denise Coia says that the organisation works in a "complex and changing environment" where there is no simple and easy solution.

Image source, PA

She describes the wide range of work that the organisation does including verifying new medicines for the NHS, inspecting hospitals and ensuring that patients have a voice in how services are run.

She says Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) gets the "full picture of health and social care" through its work and that this knowledge and overall understanding is what gives the organisation value.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland programmes for health and social care partnerships in 2016/17 include:

Image source, Healthcare Improvement Scotland

Image source, bbc

Dame Denise Coia from Healthcare Improvement Scotland says the organisation proivdes:

• improvement support
• evidence for improvement including clinical guidelines
• public assurance on the quality of service

First up this morning we have the Health Committee as it takes evidence on the healthcare improvement plan.

The committee will take evidence from the following Healthcare Improvement Scotland representatives:

• Robbie Pearson, Chief Executive 
• Dame Denise Coia, Chairman
• Ruth Glassborow, Director of Safety and Improvement
• Dr Brian Robson, Medical Director, Healthcare Improvement Scotland

First up this morning the Health Committee will take evidence from Healthcare Improvement Scotland followed by an evidence session on the Transplantation Bill. 

In the chamber this afternoon we begin with topical question's as the US travel ban and Joint Ministerial Committee on Brexit are raised. 

Image source, Getty/BBC

This will be followed by a ministerial statement on the Scottish government's reaction to the independent review of the circumstances surrounding the death of Bailey Gwynne.

The government will then lead a debate on celebrating Scotland's history.

After decision time SNP MSP Graeme Dey will lead this evening's member's debate on Scotland's veterans.