ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the healthcare and social care contributions to multiprofessional practice. It explores the importance, the difficulties and the possibilities in working together for older people. The chapter identifies structural approaches to working together. Healthcare professionals often see themselves as part of a healthcare system, ideally holistic, but with glitches. Connected to the different focuses, social work and healthcare priorities when making contributions to partnership also vary. Healthcare staff makes a strong contribution in ensuring that the elements of the healthcare system work together well. The terminology of coordination and teamwork reflects the reality that these are aspirational terms and expresses hopes, plans or wishes that people will work together to provide services, and to plan and promote systematic attempts to create partnership. The main direction of thinking in developing end-of-life care in the UK has been a pathway approach.
