P6 – Explain two examples of multi-disciplinary working in health service provision
A multidisciplinary team (MDT) is composed of members of staff from different healthcare professionals with specialised skills and expertise. The members collaborate together to make treatment recommendations that facilitate quality patient care, they respond and act fast together to clients who require help from more than one kind of professional. They form one aspect of the provision of a streamlined patient journey by developing individual treatment plans based on “best practice”. They team to address treatment focussed on both physical and psychological needs of individuals in need. In relation to cancer care, MDTs may include any of the following health care professionals, the services are available in particular locations:
Haematologist
Medical oncologist
Radiation oncologist
Specialist surgeon
General Surgeon
Pathologist
Cancer care nurse
Breast cancer nurse
Cancer care coordinator
Chemotherapy nurse
Allied health professionals (such as nutritionists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, speech pathologists and social workers).
General practitioners (Gps)
They are also often discussed in the same context as joint working, inter-agency work and partnership working. These teams involve:
General practitioners (GPs)
Social services
NHS trusts
Health educators
Similar health professionals
MDT. (). Department of Health. Available: http://www.health.nt.gov.au/Cancer_Services/CanNET_NT/Multidisciplinary_Teams/index.aspx. Last accessed 29/04/2014.
Nursing plays an important contributory role in the multidisciplinary team approach to patient care. The nurse who is responsible for the care of liver transplant patients requires special preparation to meet the patient's needs during the critical phases of this certain process. In the hospital setting, a primary nursing-care