Patients' views on primary care multidisciplinary teams in Scotland: a mixed-methods evaluation

Expanding primary care multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) was a key component of the 2018 Scottish GP contract, with more than 4700 MDT staff appointed since then. To explore patients' views on primary care MDT expansion in Scotland. A mixed-methods evaluation, which included a postal survey and semi-structured telephone interviews with patients in Scotland. A survey was undertaken of patients who had recently consulted a GP in deprived urban, affluent urban, and remote and rural areas, assessing awareness of five MDT roles and attitudes towards receptionist signposting. In addition, 30 individual interviews were conducted, exploring patients' MDT-care experiences. Of 1053 survey responders, most were unaware of the option of MDT rather than GP consultations for three out of five roles (69% unaware of link worker appointments; 69% mental health nurse; and 58% pharmacist). Reception signposting was less popular in deprived urban areas (34% unhappy versus 29% in remote and rural versus 21% affluent urban;