How Enhanced Advice & Guidance can help provide the best care this Men’s Health Week

An Advanced Paramedic Practitioner in NHS Lanarkshire provided Prof-to-Prof Advice via ‘call before convey’ after an ambulance crew saw a patient experiencing breathlessness with ongoing heart failure:

‘After carrying out observations, the crew found that the patient’s symptoms had settled, and they phoned the Flow Navigation Centre via Consultant Connect because they weren’t sure of the most suitable pathway. After a conversation, we decided that the preferred action was to refer the patient to the Hospital at Home Team, with a contingency plan to refer him to the medics at the hospital if needed. The Hospital at Home Team confirmed that the patient was suitable for this pathway and visited him shortly after. If Consultant Connect has not facilitated this conversation, the patient would’ve been conveyed to hospital. Even if, on arrival, the Hospital at Home Team decided he would be better cared for in the hospital, he would have been a direct admission.’

– Sharleen Anderson.

A GP in Medway and Swale used Messaging Advice & Guidance via Consultant Connect after seeing a patient who’d had an ECG carried out in a walk-in facility:

‘He had been complaining of dizziness, and after assessing his ECG, it didn’t look normal. I took a picture of the patient’s ECG and forwarded it to a consultant cardiologist on the NCN. The consultant cardiologist responded within the hour, advising that it wasn’t a complete heart block and that referring the patient on a routine pathway would be appropriate. The patient was immediately comforted by this and was very happy that it was nothing to worry about and had saved him a trip to A&E.’

– Dr Modupe Martins.

A Clinical Pharmacist in Diabetes in Birmingham and Solihull ICB used Telephone Advice & Guidance after seeing a patient with type 2 diabetes who needed a GLP1 during Ramadan:

‘Because he was fasting, my initial thought was to delay it until after Ramadan, but I decided to speak with a diabetologist on the NCN to confirm my plan. The consultant advised that introducing the GLP1 would help with fasting because it would reduce the patient’s hunger and increase feelings of fullness. This was invaluable advice, and when I relayed this to the patient, he was very satisfied with the decision.’

– DM*.

* Clinician was asked to be identified by their initials only

A GP in Dorset utilised Telephone Advice & Guidance via Consultant Connect after a patient experiencing rapidly worsening shortness of breath presented in the clinic:

‘When the patient came to see me, I initially diagnosed pulmonary fibrosis. The patient didn’t require admission, but could not have waited months to be seen in a respiratory clinic. I used Consultant Connect to rapidly speak to a local respiratory specialist at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust. By speaking to a specialist, the patient avoided an acute admission, as the specialist arranged an outpatient appointment within a few weeks, with necessary investigations carried out beforehand. The patient was very happy they were being seen by a specialist urgently. The service avoids unnecessary referrals and patients coming to harm by waiting a long time for appointments. It provides safer patient care and bridges the gap between Primary and Secondary Care.’

– Dr Rachel Smith.