Multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings—or tumour boards—are essential for delivering high-quality cancer care. However, as clinical complexity increases amid financial pressures and staff shortages, ensuring effective teamwork and optimal decision-making has become ever more challenging. In response, our collaborative quality improvement (QI) programme—funded by the Cancer Alliance Network in the United Kingdom (UK)—applies team science principles to drive systematic, data-driven change. This ongoing project, now nearing completion, combines reflective video-based training with a team audit and feedback system that utilises validated psychometric assessment tools. Although final outcomes are still pending, we share our progress and interim insights.

The programme is structured into three interconnected phases. In Phase 1, we delivered a training course to 150 cancer MDT members and leads across England, UK. This course incorporated video-based learning and guided reflection on MDT processes, equipping participants with the skills to critically assess their meeting dynamics and decision-making. We also introduced a set of bespoke, validated team assessment tools and clinical decision support resources, thereby creating a standardized framework for team audit. These tools were designed not only to provide immediate feedback but also to lay the groundwork for ongoing self-reflection.

Phase 2 focused on the team audit and feedback cycle. During this phase, baseline observations were conducted for approximately 130 cancer cases per team, and a mixed-methods survey yielded 195 responses from all 15 MDTs. The data collected enabled us to provide each team with tailored, non-punitive, actionable feedback that integrated and triangulated observational findings with insights from diverse disciplinary perspectives. Subsequent feedback sessions allowed teams to engage in structured discussions, identify their strengths, and pinpoint areas for improvement. By using collective insights and shared reflection as catalysts for sustainable change, this phase embodies team science principles.

Now, in Phase 3—the final stage—we are consolidating lessons learned into legacy resources that will support continuous improvement. These legacy resources include an “Implementation Manual” and a suite of refined training materials (all developed collaboratively with the MDTs), along with a knowledge exchange event to share lessons learned and best practices. Our goal is to create a replicable, scalable model that not only enhances the effectiveness of current MDT practices but also serves as a blueprint for future international transformations in cancer care.

In summary, this ongoing programme stands as one of the largest improvement initiatives in the UK for cancer MDTs—engaging 15 teams, whereas comparable projects, such as Cancer Research UK’s 2019 initiative and studies from Western Sydney or Australia, typically involved 12 or fewer teams. By harnessing robust team science methods—including rigorous psychometric assessments, reflective video-based training, and a comprehensive, data-driven audit and feedback system that incorporates cross-disciplinary perspectives—our peer-led model received a higher level of engagement and yielded deeper insights into MDT functioning. Although final outcomes remain pending, our interim findings highlight the potential of this innovative approach to set a new benchmark for scalable transformation in cancer care, paving the way for broader national and international impact amid mounting clinical complexity, financial pressures, and staffing challenges.