To ask the Minister of Health for an update on the roll-out of Multi-Disciplinary Teams in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust.

Within the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, primary care multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) are now in place in the Down GP Federation area. A total of 13 practices have a full complement of first contact social workers, social work assistants, mental health practitioners and physiotherapists in post, complemented by increased levels of district nursing and health visiting staff. These teams are providing care to a patient population of 76,685.

Within the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust efforts continue to progress the roll-out of the MDT model in the West Belfast GP Federation remit, to a practice population of 89,916. Currently all first contact physiotherapists have been recruited, with social workers and mental health practitioners also in place in some practices.

The pressures across health and social care caused by Covid-19 have necessitated a pause in further recruitment, while allowing existing MDTs to continue to provide services to their patients. Further expansion of the model will be dependent on availability of funding, a qualified and experienced workforce and the suitability of the primary care estate.