Teams without Walls: the value of medical innovation and leadership

The success of providing care closer to home lies in developing 'teams without walls', according to a working party of three medical Royal Colleges. Representatives from the RCGP, RCP and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) have published a report outlining an integrated model of care, where professionals from primary and secondary health settings work together to manage patients using pathways designed by local clinicians. Key features of successful integrated working and elements that hinder this approach are outlined, together with examples of where this model has benefited patients.