Developing interprofessional working in primary care

Abstract

Interprofessional working is a key feature of current UK health care policy. A primary care trust saw an opportunity to develop a new general practice service to meet the needs of an inner-city population. Academics from the University of the West of England, Bristol, acted as facilitators, to assist the practice team. This paper discusses the development of an interprofessional team establishing new ways of working with a diverse practice population. It illustrates the challenges and achievements of the team as its members strived to attain interprofessional working. A project evaluation revealed the learning, challenges and changes in practice that were achieved. It also suggests a model of working that is transferable to other workplaces. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Son, Ltd.