Much is being made of the negative effects of New Ways of Working, to the extent that its future is now seriously threatened despite the fact that viable or palatable alternatives have not been proposed within an environment of increasing service demand.

Having experienced working in several trusts through the process of adopting New Ways of Working (in working and older age adults), my belief is that the current challenge lies in identifying which factors lead to success and which do not. The next question is whether the successful factors can be systematised (i.e. are not entirely dependent on individual skill, knowledge or enthusiasm). My view is that the following three factors are of key importance.

1. 1. New Ways of Working needs to be clinically led and not perceived as being misappropriated by management for their own (financial?) agenda.

2. 2. Strong team leadership to encourage and support care coordinators’ increased responsibilites.

3. 3. Boundaries between functional teams need to be explicit, without the gaps that general practitioners hate, and with great emphasis on excellent, protocolled communication standards. Universality and continuity of service delivery are thus ensured.

New Ways of Working remains in an experimental phase and shows promise. We cannot allow naysayers whose fear of obsolescence or displacement from power hold back real progress. New ways can work. Isn't it time for the College to canvass members to find out how?