Nesbitt welcomes MDT funding for Northern Ireland

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has welcomed the announcement of £61m of Executive transformation funding to expand the Primary Care Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) Programme. 

The MDT Programme is a partnership between GP Federations and HSC Trusts. It introduces new physiotherapy, social work and mental health roles into general practice to work alongside the existing practice team. It aims to help shift the health service from treating illness to supporting good physical and mental health and social wellbeing. 

The Programme is currently complete or in development in the Down, Derry, West Belfast, Causeway, Ards and North Down GP Federation areas. Following confirmation of Executive transformation funding, it will be expanded to a further five areas: North Belfast, South West (Fermanagh/West Tyrone) and East Antrim, Craigavon, and Armagh and Dungannon.

The Health Minister said: “Primary Care MDTs clearly work. They are probably the biggest success story of recent years in transforming our health service. I believe that the MDT Programme, and the close collaboration between Trusts and GP Federations that underpins it, remains the key to stabilising vital Primary Care services in our communities, to ensure they can continue to provide high quality care to people, now and into the future.”