Background
There is well documented evidence of the benefits of different health professionals working together1. To ensure the best possible care for a patient close liaison is needed between all health and social care professionals involved in that patient's care. Good communication between hospital-based staff and the primary care team is essential.

Aims and objectives
The aim of this initiative was to generate an appreciation of interprofessional team working within the setting of the NHS. With the objective of the session to highlight the importance of respect and communication in multidisciplinary group working and to demonstrate the roles and number of professions involved in patient care.

Methodology
These aims were to be achieved using multidisciplinary workshops within an undergraduate student population, with a particular reference to interprofessional communication in the treatment of an elderly patient. In each workshop, groups of up to 10 first year students from courses in nursing, medicine, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physiotherapy, radiography, dietetics and social work took part in tutorials to explore the different roles of their future professions based on a case study of an elderly patient. Each group of students was mixed on the basis of discipline with as many professions represented in any one group as was logistically achievable and likewise tutors were also drawn from across the range of courses involved in this initiative. The session emphasised small group learning and was interactive with the tutor taking on the role of facilitator. The students brainstormed ideas and made notes on suggestions and provided their views on the content and process of the session. Before commencement of the workgroups all students completed an interprofessional working attitudinal questionnaire.

Results
Written and verbal feedback from both students and facilitators was extremely positive and 97% of students agreed that learning with other students would make them a more effective member of a healthcare team with 75% of students stating that they would welcome the opportunity to work on small group projects with other health care students.

Conclusions

The findings of this initiative demonstrate the benefits of working together in an undergraduate multidisciplinary healthcare team to improve communication and understanding of interprofessional working in a healthcare environment. It is hoped that this initiative for first year undergraduates will provide the foundation for a strong and growing interprofessional healthcare programme in Aberdeen.