Presenting a patient at an MDT
When you present a case at an , you are doing two things at once: getting the team's input on a complex case, and (subtly) educating the team on what the role can do. A short, well-shaped presentation builds the team's confidence in you. A rambling one — even with a great case — undermines the role.
A simple structure for a presentation
Aim for 3–5 minutes of presentation, then discussion. have limited time per case and dragging it out reduces what you get back. A reliable shape:
| Section | Approx. time | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Anonymised summary of the person | 30 sec | Frame the situation |
| Why you are bringing the case today | 30 sec | Tell the team what to listen for |
| What you have done so far | 1 min | Save the from re-asking |
| Where you want input | 1–2 min | Make it easy for the team to help |
| Suggested action / agreement | 30 sec | Don't leave the case open-ended |
If you find yourself approaching 6–7 minutes, stop and ask for input. The team can ask follow-up questions if they need more.
What to include in the summary
- Approximate age, gender, presenting issue, key social context (housing, finances, isolation, caring responsibilities).
- Avoid identifying details beyond what is necessary for the clinical conversation.
- Note any risks the team should know about — safeguarding, mental health, escalating presentation, lone-working concerns.
- Note any strengths and supports already in place — sometimes the most useful information.
Avoid jargon, avoid acronyms the team doesn't share, avoid value judgements about the person's choices.
Where to ask for input
This is where you are most useful to the — and where the is most useful to you. Don't bring a case you have already solved. It wastes the team's time and tells them you don't really need them. Bring a case where:
- You are hitting a clinical question — " team, can someone confirm the pain medication review I'm being asked about?"
- The person is bouncing between services — "How do we coordinate so they don't have to tell their story twice more this fortnight?"
- A safeguarding question needs more eyes on it.
- The community offer isn't matching the need and you want help thinking it through.
- A pathway is broken or unclear and you need someone with the authority to fix it.
A useful test before you bring a case: "Can I name, in one sentence, what I am asking the team to help with?" If you can't, the case isn't ready for the .
Practical etiquette
- Arrive prepared. Read the case, plan the presentation, anticipate the team's questions.
- Stay during the discussion — even when the conversation moves to clinical territory you don't lead on. Your presence and your perspective matter.
- Be honest about what you don't know. "I don't know whether her medication is causing the drowsiness — I'm hoping someone here does" is a good contribution.
- Don't get defensive about your work. If a team member challenges your approach, listen. Sometimes they're right; sometimes they're not; either way the conversation is useful.
After the meeting
- Document the outcome in the record — what was discussed, what was agreed, who is doing what by when.
- Feed back to the person what the discussed (with appropriate anonymity — they don't need other professionals' names, they need to know what changes for them).
- Action the agreed steps promptly. The single biggest thing that erodes trust is agreeing to do something and then not doing it.
- Bring complex cases to clinical supervision too — input is one perspective; clinical supervision is another. They serve different purposes and shouldn't be confused.
- Use the Reflection tool if the case raised something for you. can be emotionally intense, especially when the conversation goes against your view.