The SARS Expert Committee's hospital management and administration group is determined to be independent in its investigation into the Government's handling of the SARS outbreak, the group's Chairman Sir Cyril Chantler says.

Wrapping up its three-day trip in Hong Kong, Sir Chantler said the group has not yet come to any conclusions and another expert group will arrive in the city two weeks from now to look into the public health system.

The two expert groups will meet in Hong Kong in August for discussions and will come to some conclusions by that time. A report will then be submitted to the Chief Executive.

During its three-day stay, the group met with Department of Health officials, Hospital Authority management, frontline healthcare officers, and Hong Kong lawmakers.

The group said it will focus on the following issues during its investigation:

*Any signs that could have been detected so that the outbreak could have been avoided;

*Anything that could have been done to prevent the outbreak in hospitals and the community;

*The capacity of the hospital system for infection-contol, staff protection and staff training; and

*Any better ways to deal with similar incidents in the future.

Two group members from the Mainland said that the SARS outbreak shows that there is an urgent need to enhance the communication between Hong Kong and Guangdong.

Noting that the Mainland has learned a lesson from the outbreak, both Mainland experts said the Mainland authority has adopted a new reporting mechanism recently to speed up the exchange of information on infectious diseases.