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| Dame Deirdre Hine (left) and Mrs Christine Glover (President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society) at the launch of the report |
Team work between health professionals and patients is the key to the future
success of primary health care, according to a new report drawn up by representatives
of health professions and patients. The report, produced by the Forum on Teamworking
in Primary Healthcare, presents evidence to show that teamworking provides a
more responsive service to patients, who benefit more when health care professionals
work together.
The report sets out 11 recommendations to assist in establishing successful
primary health care teams. The recommen-
dations state that a team should
The report sees primary care teams changing to meet the needs of patients and
groups of patients in different situations. Patients with short-term or acute
conditions might interact primarily with a small team consisting of receptionist,
doctor and pharmacist, while patients with long-term or chronic illnesses might
need a wider team including practice nurses, a physiotherapist (or other profession
allied to medicine) and a social care worker, with little involvement of a doctor.
The report also sets out 20 recommendations for consideration by national organisations
with a responsibility for team members. The recommendations call on the national
organisations to endorse national priorities that facilitate teamworking, to
encourage educational initiatives that support the teamworking approach, to
promote research aimed at evaluating teamworking initiatives, and to champion
teamworking as an approach to primary health care.
The Forum on Teamworking in
Primary Healthcare was established in 1999 as a joint initiative of the Royal
Pharmaceutical Society and the British Medical Association, following discussions
between the Society, the BMA, the National Pharmaceutical Association, the Royal
College of Nursing and the Royal College of General Practitioners. The forum
was also supported by the British Dental Association, the Patients’ Association,
the Institute of Healthcare Management, the Association of Directors of Social
Services, the Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales
and the Community Practitioners’ and Health Visitors’ Association.
The report was drawn up by health care professionals (including doctors, pharmacists,
nurses, health visitors, dentists, social services and practice managers) and
patients.
Speaking at the report’s launch on October 11, the forum’s chairman
(Dame Deirdre Hine, who is also chairman of the Commission for Health Improvement)
said: “Getting the right health team in place is vital to the future of
health care in the United Kingdom. Simply bringing groups of health care professionals
and patients together is not the answer. There need to be fundamental changes
to the way both professionals and patients work together.
“The Government’s plan for the NHS calls for continued professional
co-operation and development and it is clear that the future of primary health
care lies in the team approach. This forum has found that health professionals
and the public are still unsure of their roles in such a team and it is clear
that if we are to breakdown the barriers and build bridges then changes to ways
of working are needed. The challenge is to establish the best teams that are
equipped to deliver health care in the future.”
Copies of the 48-page report (price £10, including p&p) can be obtained
from Valerie Green, Room 105, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, 1 Lambeth High Street,
London SE1 7JN (tel 020 7820 3399 ext 305, fax 020 7582 3401, e-mail vgreen@rpsgb.org.uk).