Multi-Disciplinary Teams in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Motivation, Satisfaction & Effect

In the United Kingdom's (UK) National Health Service (NHS), multi-disciplinary team (MDT) work has been advocated by policy makers as a way in which the NHS can meet the demands of a 21st century health care system (Department of Health 2000). It is believed that that MDT working can deliver the best, safest, most efficient, cost effective outcomes for patients as care can be integrated across professional and institutional and boundaries (Borril et al. 2001; Workman & Pickard 2008; Finn et al. 2010). This qualitative research aims to understand health professionals' perspectives of the challenges and opportunities associated with working in an NHS Lothian CAMHS MDT. A case study design was chosen and two NHS Lothian CAMHS MDT's participated in the research which took place during the month of July 2012. Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted, and four MDT meetings (two from each team) were observed totalling six hours. Findings were analysed thematically and the data that was presented was guided by Anthony Gidden's social structuration theory. The findings from this study support existing research (Finn 2008) which puts forward that MDT's in health care continue to reflect the structural inequalities that have always been present in the healthcare environment. In addition, MDT working does not always bring together and unite the different professional disciplines as this way of working was expected to do. This research found that roles, hierarchies, personalities, team size and professional discipline were components that impacted on the health professional's job motivation and job satisfaction, and are factors that should be taken into consideration when developing a MDT or recruiting for an existing MDT.msc_inhunpub1443_ethesesunpu