An ICB in the North of England is demonstrating how Enhanced Advice & Guidance (A&G) can reduce unnecessary dermatology referrals by giving clinicians rapid access to specialist expertise.
Delivered through Consultant Connect, the service provides local clinicians with access to out-of-area NHS consultant dermatologists on the National Consultant Network (NCN), adding flexible capacity to support local services during periods of high demand.
The results
Since launch in October 2025, across the ICB’s 10 boroughs:
- >2,700 dermatology A&G messages sent.
- 5 hours average message response time, enabling clinicians to make timely treatment decisions.
- 61% of patients avoid a hospital referral altogether following specialist advice
- 39% directed to the right pathway the first time, including 20% requiring a non-2WW referral, 9% a community referral, and 9% an urgent 2WW referral.
For the 61% of patients who avoid referrals, consultant advice enables treatment to begin sooner within primary care, removing the need for unnecessary outpatient appointments and reducing delays associated with waiting for specialist assessment. Patients also avoid the time and cost of travelling to hospital, whilst outpatient capacity is preserved for those who need it most.
The NCN’s flexible ‘switch-on/switch-off’ model allows the ICB to scale remote consultant capacity in line with demand, providing additional resilience without increasing pressure on local dermatology teams. Clinicians continue to receive expert advice from NHS consultants whilst managing more patients closer to home.
With more than six in 10 patients managed without a referral and specialist advice returned in hours, Enhanced A&G is helping the ICB reduce demand on outpatient services whilst maintaining timely access to consultant expertise. The NCN model provides additional capacity when required, supporting local services without the need to recruit permanent resources.
If you have a question or would like to learn how Consultant Connect can support your NHS area, please contact us on 01865 951207 or email hello@consultantconnect.org.uk.
*Data accurate as of July 2026
