Quality Practice Award and teamworking: the perceptions of Primary Health Care Team members in Scotland

Evidence exists that those teams which complete an agreed task experience an improvement in team functioning. The aim of this study was to investigate whether completion of the Royal College of General Practitioners Quality Practice Award (QPA) improved the team members' perception of teamworking within their Primary Health Care Teams (PHCTs). A postal questionnaire was sent to all 158 PHCT members in 6 Scottish practices that achieved QPA in 2001 followed by selected telephone interviews. General practitioners (GPs), nurses and administrative staff showed a statistically significant improvement in their perception of teamworking as a result of completing QPA, but nurses reported this to a lesser degree. Protocols and audit work, followed by improvements in communication were perceived to have had the most beneficial effect on teamwork. After completing QPA, 79% of GPs, 64% of nurses and 84% of administrative staff perceived an improvement in the standard of care provided. Qualitative data confirmed that team functioning improved by completing QPA, but that a certain level of team functioning was necessary before a practice begins the QPA process. Teams also hoped to maintain the high standards inherent in QPA in the future but had concerns regarding workload.