Multidisciplinary Team
A group of professionals from different specialties who plan a patient's care together.
What it means
A multidisciplinary team brings together professionals from different specialties to plan a patient's care jointly. Abbreviated MDT.
A cancer MDT typically includes surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and specialist nurses, meeting weekly to review each case with all the scan and biopsy results in front of them.
This means a treatment recommendation reflects several specialists' agreement rather than one clinician's opinion — which is the point of the arrangement, and a genuine safeguard.
In practice
Letters may say a case was "discussed at MDT", with the recommendation that followed.
MDTs are mandatory for cancer care in the NHS and are used in stroke, complex diabetes, mental health, heart failure and musculoskeletal care.
Why it matters
Patients are not present at an MDT, and the discussion is technical. The outcome should then be explained properly in a consultation, and it is entirely reasonable to ask what alternatives were considered and why this one was recommended.
An MDT recommendation is advice, not a decision that has been taken for you. Consent still rests with the patient.
Clinically reviewed by Dr Mohammad Zubair Khan, GMC 7563469
Last reviewed
August 30, 2026