Discuss the potential benefits and difficulties associated with inter-professional collaborative working, drawing examples from your own experiences of the collaborative group work which forms an integral aspect of the module.

Collaboration according to both the Oxford Dictionary of Current English and Websters means simply to labour together or to work jointly. Michaund (1970) defined inter-professional collaboration as involving the shared training, which aims to help professionals work together more effectively in the interests of their clients and patients by enhancing cooperation. Payne (1990) described three forms to a team being collaborative, leader centred and individualistic to from a basis to multidisciplinary working. Overtrait (1997a) felt that there were four parts to an inter-professional approach these were, integration, team membership, client pathway and decision-making and the management structure of a team….(short extract)