What is an MDT?

What is an MDT? 

When finding out about healthcare, you might have heard the term ‘MDT’, which stands for ‘multidisciplinary team’. 

An MDT is a group of doctors and clinical specialists from a range of medical disciplines who come together to decide the best treatment and care plan for a patient. They make sure that all treatment decisions are made through consensus, using a wide range of expertise and knowledge to achieve the best outcomes for patients. 

Who takes part in an MDT?

‘Multidisciplinary’ means bringing together different experts whose insights will contribute to the patient’s care in some way. The specific experts will depend on the patient’s diagnosis and the specialty involved. For example, in a cardiac MDT, we’ll have cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons, as well as theatre nurses, radiologists, perfusionists and anaesthetists who assist during the surgery, and team members from the catheter lab (where cardiac tests and percutaneous procedures are carried out). 

We might also be joined by a rehabilitation specialist or physiotherapist who’ll focus on the patient’s individual requirements to support their recovery post-surgery. 

I think that’s another useful aspect of an MDT — every member of the team is given the opportunity to play an integral part in a patient’s complex journey.

What is an MDT meeting?

An MDT meeting is a regular meeting where an MDT comes together to discuss the care plans for complex patients. Consultants submit the cases they’d like to discuss the week before the meeting. Using their combined expertise, the MDT reviews a patient’s tests and scans to agree on the most appropriate treatment plan. Each member of the MDT contributes to the discussion in the MDT meeting to ensure that a consensus is made on what’s best for the patient so that they receive the most appropriate treatment. 

The range of expertise in an MDT meeting means that the treatment plan is tailored to the patient’s specific needs, taking into account their condition, goals and the rehabilitation they need. This means that the treatment decided upon effectively treats the patient’s condition while also supporting their recovery. 

Is an MDT meeting serious? 

An MDT meeting is serious, but it doesn’t necessarily mean bad news. MDT meetings are used to plan treatments for complex cases that need the support of a range of experts to decide the best approach to take. However, just because a case is complex doesn’t mean that there’s a low chance of success. MDT meetings ensure that the best course of action is taken for each patient to make sure their treatment is effective and meets their specific needs. 

It’s decision-making like this that helps ensure the best outcomes for our patients — at HCA UK, our surgical success rate is 99.8%, with our MDT approach helping to achieve this by making sure we decide on the right treatment plan for patients. 

Does an MDT meeting mean I have cancer?

No — while MDT meetings are often associated with cancer care, having your case discussed in an MDT meeting doesn’t mean you have cancer. We discuss all different types of cases in MDT meetings — we have MDT meetings about cardiac care, orthopaedics and neurosurgery, among others. 

If a case is complex and needs a range of opinions, we’ll discuss it in an MDT meeting, whatever specialty it falls under. 

Even if you’ve had a consultation due to a lump or a suspected tumour, having your case discussed in an MDT doesn’t mean it’s definitely cancer. MDT meetings bring together consultants from different specialities alongside a clinical team with a wide range of expertise to discuss tests and scans. 

With an MDT, patients benefit from the expertise of multiple specialists rather than just one, ensuring they receive an accurate diagnosis and the best treatment plan for them, whatever their condition. How long after an MDT meeting will I be contacted? The time it takes for a patient to be contacted after an MDT meeting depends on a number of factors. These include the urgency of the case, its complexity, consultant availability and how busy our theatres are. Once the MDT has reviewed your case, our hospital team will either give you a call or invite you to a face-to-face appointment to discuss the outcome of the MDT meeting.

How are patients referred to an MDT?

Patients are referred to a multidisciplinary team when their doctor identifies their case as complex and believes that their treatment planning would benefit from the insights of a range of experts. This might be due to the patient’s condition being difficult to diagnose, the treatment options being complicated to perform or needing the collaboration of experts from different specialties, or the patient being seriously ill. 

Patients don’t need to request to be referred to an MDT — this decision is made by their consultant when input from a range of specialists is needed to reach the best treatment decision. 

What are the benefits of an MDT? 

Taking an MDT approach means that a wide team of professionals contribute to a patient’s care, rather than just having the input of one or two specialists. For example, in cardiac MDTs, a cardiologist will present the details of a patient’s case to other cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons, as well as with echocardiography and cardiac MRI specialists, radiologists, perfusionists and anaesthetists who can then share their insights and expertise. This lets us reach a consensus decision about the most appropriate care a patient needs and the surgical approach we should take. 

MDTs offer the opportunity to think about all of the potential treatment options for a patient. Ultimately, it's all about finding the approach that will give the best outcome for the patient and their own individual circumstances. It’s also paramount to consider each patient’s individual suitability to less invasive surgical approaches, as is recommended by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for cardiac care. 

As a consultant, an MDT meeting presents an opportunity for me to broaden my horizons and hear perspectives from other consultants with their own specialisms and specific expertise. Even with years of experience, it's important that as consultants we are constantly keeping our knowledge updated alongside the latest innovations and approaches in surgery and medicine, which are rapidly evolving. In some cases, consultants attend MDTs not because they have a patient of their own to present and discuss, but to offer their expertise, contribute to the shared decision making and support their colleagues. 

What stands out about MDTs at HCA UK?

I have always been hugely impressed by the quality of the teams taking part in multidisciplinary meetings. You can share your knowledge and clinical experience with many other excellent specialists from so many hospitals and university hospitals, which ultimately translates into highly specialised, evidence-based treatment approaches for each individual patient.