Bringing down the Berlin Wall in academia

摘要

The government's vision to deliver first class health services through the National Health Service (NHS) involves a shift from institutional to community-based care, less rigid professional boundaries, and greater collaboration between patients, agencies, and professionals (Department of Health, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004; Wanless, 2002). The government white paper, Choosing Health (Department of Health, 2004), reinforced the importance of working in partnership, more specifically in the promotion of mental health and well-being, recognized as being fundamental to the quality of life and productivity of individuals, families and communities. These key issues of a flexible health care workforce and teamwork could be a challenge for health care professions, and there are thus implications for the ways that health care professionals are educated and trained (Barr, 2000).