ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to discuss the link between developing policies for interprofessional work in primary health care and the extent to which these ideas are reflected in practice. The chapter seeks to clarify the overlapping terms of interprofessional, teamwork and collaboration, and to discuss the empirical research carried out in the field of primary health care. The concept of working together in primary health care gives rise to some important tensions for planners, managers and practitioners, such as multi-skilling, the health and social care divide, the inherent conflict between collaboration and the internal market, user choice, fragmentation and integration. Some of the important arenas for interprofessional work involving nurses in primary care are selected for detailed discussion.
