The Centre for Interprofessional Practice (CIPP) at UEA was formed in 2002 in response to UK health and social care policy, emphasising the importance of interprofessional teamworking in delivering high quality and safe care.

In order to equip our students for effective interprofessional teamworking, CIPP offers opportunities for interprofessional learning (IPL) from the beginning and throughout students' education.  

There is no simple prescription as to what makes a team interact effectively, however core elements include the need for:

• Each individual to understand their role within the team and to feel their role is valued
• Every member of the team to invest in the process
• Effective leadership
• An environment that allows all team members to voice concerns
• The ability of the team to work together to overcome challenges.

Members of the CIPP Team have collaborated with national and international organisations including the World Health Organisation, with the aim of improving patient care by enabling health and social care students and practitioners to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and behaviour that enable effective interprofessional teamworking.

The World Health Organisation and Interprofessional Education

In 2010, the World Health organisation published the Framework for Action on Interprofessional Education & Collaborative Practice, highlighting the necessity for interprofessional structures:

• "Interprofessional collaboration is key to providing the best in patient care. That means we need to ensure our health and human services students gain the knowledge and skills they need through interprofessional education that begins at the earliest stages of their schooling."
• "Interprofessional education is a necessary step in preparing a collaborative, practice-ready health workforce that is better prepared to respond to local health needs."
• "A collaborative practice-ready health worker is someone who has learned how to work in an interprofessional team and is competent to do so."

The Centre for Interprofessional Practice is a corporate member of CAIPE - the UK Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education