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This paper is based on an address given (in collaboration with Eileen McKinlay and Tony Dowell) at the WIPA Long Term Conditions Symposium, Porirua, March 2006.

Effective interdisciplinary working, in which teams of competent health professionals combine their skills to provide comprehensive care for individuals and populations, is one of the essential underlying principles of primary health care. Chronic condition management is a significant component of the primary care service workload; principles of proven good management closely align with those of primary health care. Teams that are both safe and effective have a number of key characteristics: clear objectives, clear role definition, clear respect for each other’s roles and adequate time for teamwork. Teams must also be supported with good organisational and funding structures.