Primary Care Multi Disciplinary Teams (MDT's)

In May 2018, the Department of Health announced the Multi -Disciplinary Teams in Primary Care (MDT’s) initiative as part of a £15m transformation fund allocation to primary care.

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The Western Health & Social Care Trust, in partnership with the Derry Federation of GP Practices, and the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust, in partnership with Down GP Federation, were the first to pilot the implementation of MDT’s in Northern Ireland 

Why it was established

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The development of MDTs was a central element of the ‘Health and Wellbeing 2026 – Delivering Together’ framework in 2016. They were introduced as part of a regional mechanism for transforming and coordinating health and care services to meet the needs of individuals with complex care needs and focus on person-centred care. 

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The teams bring together the expertise and skills of different professionals such as First Contact Physiotherapists, Social Workers and Mental Health Practitioners to assess, plan and manage care jointly. Patents registered with an MDT Practice can book an appointment directly with any of the new services, without first having to see their GP. GP practices benefit as they can focus not just on managing ill-health, but also on the physical, mental and social wellbeing of communities. GPs in MDT practices will also see their time utilised more effectively. By ensuring that patients see the most appropriate professional within the primary care setting, GPs can focus on those patients who most urgently require their care.

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Multi-Disciplinary Teams continue to be rolled out to GP Practices by GP Federation area

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Each Federation’s MDT projects are all currently at different stages of development according to the original timeline. Working groups continue to meet with representatives from all stakeholders to ensure the roll out goes as smoothly as possible. 

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