Interprofessional Education
Introduction
Interprofessional working is one of the key processes in which care is currently managed within the National Health Service (NHS) (Atwal and Caldwell 2005). Therefore, it’s important to understand how this process is carried from education through to current UK health and social services and what key strategies are being used to strengthen this collaborative process.
Demographic changes are said to occur over the next 20 years, such as a continuing shift towards long-term conditions and a growing number of older people with multiple conditions and complex needs, which will require a higher demand of health and social care and financial constraints on the NHS affecting the resources available to respond to the increase in demand (Scottish Government 2010). Moreover, there is a rise in the public’s expectation as to what the NHS and social care services can do for them. The integration of health and social care and leadership are two strategies being used currently to help assist with these current changes in health care.
An interview was conducted and held within Queen Margaret University, whereby we explored the reality of teamwork and how it operates within diverse health and social care systems in the current political and economic climate. We interviewed the integrated response team (IRT) of a local NHS location, brought together over the last year. The interviewees were comprised of an OT, physiotherapist and social worker each of who are highly experienced in their profession. The IRT is part of a larger organisation known as the Integrated Community Assessment and Support Services, which is completed by a hospital at home team and a care at home team. Their team promotes early discharge and prevention of admissions to hospital.
The team expressed the main strategies used to strengthen interprofessional working within their department are collaborative team leadership, the integration of health and social care, informal
Interprofessional working is one of the key processes in which care is currently managed within the National Health Service (NHS) (Atwal and Caldwell 2005). Therefore, it’s important to understand how this process is carried from education through to current UK health and social services and what key strategies are being used to strengthen this collaborative process.
Demographic changes are said to occur over the next 20 years, such as a continuing shift towards long-term conditions and a growing number of older people with multiple conditions and complex needs, which will require a higher demand of health and social care and financial constraints on the NHS affecting the resources available to respond to the increase in demand (Scottish Government 2010). Moreover, there is a rise in the public’s expectation as to what the NHS and social care services can do for them. The integration of health and social care and leadership are two strategies being used currently to help assist with these current changes in health care.
An interview was conducted and held within Queen Margaret University, whereby we explored the reality of teamwork and how it operates within diverse health and social care systems in the current political and economic climate. We interviewed the integrated response team (IRT) of a local NHS location, brought together over the last year. The interviewees were comprised of an OT, physiotherapist and social worker each of who are highly experienced in their profession. The IRT is part of a larger organisation known as the Integrated Community Assessment and Support Services, which is completed by a hospital at home team and a care at home team. Their team promotes early discharge and prevention of admissions to hospital.
The team expressed the main strategies used to strengthen interprofessional working within their department are collaborative team leadership, the integration of health and social care, informal