Consultant Connect User Guide
This pack is designed to provide you, and healthcare professionals across Buckinghamshire, with all the information needed to get the most out of the service.
Sign In (to Consultant Connect in your browser)
Click the button below to sign in to Consultant Connect in your browser. If you have yet to sign up for the Consultant Connect service, watch our short ‘How to sign up’ video, click the button below and follow the simple steps to sign up. Once you have created your account you can use the same credentials to download and use the free Consultant Connect App (available via the App Store or Google Play). Please note that only devices running on an Apple operating system (iOS) of 18 and above or an Android operating system of 13 and above will support the Consultant Connect App.
Your Service Directory
Your Service Directory will show your surgery’s unique Dial-In Number, all available Telephone Advice & Guidance specialties and their operating hours. We recommend you bookmark it in your browser for easy access. To access your Service Directory, click the button below and enter your Dial-In Number.
If you do not know your Dial-In Number, please contact hello@consultantconnect.org.uk or call us on 01865 951 207.
Adult Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC): Service Overview
- What are the benefits of the Adult SDEC line?
- When is it available?
- What patients should it be used for?
Watch this short video to hear from Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust’s Mansi Patel, General Manager ED and Acute Medicine, and Penny Northcote, Lead Nurse for Emergency and Acute Medicine.
Frailty Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC): Service Overview
What are the benefits of the Frailty SDEC line?
The Frailty SDEC line allows referring clinicians from Primary Care and South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) to call ahead and speak to a clinician who can help confirm if the service user is a suitable candidate to attend the Frailty SDEC. This helps pre-agreed referrals bypass potentially lengthy waits in ED and get seen and treated by Frailty specialists as quickly as possible.
When is it available?
The Frailty SDEC line is available via Consultant Connect Monday to Friday, from 9am-5pm.
What patients should it be used for?
Broadly any patient where the referring clinician has a legitimate frailty concern. This should be supported by a Frailty/Rockwood score which should be completed prior to referral, as this will help the Frailty clinician determine whether the service is appropriate for the patient.
Frailty Hospital at Home:
Service Overview
What are the benefits of the Frailty Hospital at Home line?
Referrers can consult with this specialty service to discuss potential referrals and avoid unnecessary hospital attendances and admissions.
When is it available?
The Frailty Hospital at Home line is available via Consultant Connect Monday to Friday, from 9am-5pm.
What patients should it be used for?
Any patients that the referring team or clinician feels are suitable for a home treatment service.
Safe Clinical Photography via PhotoSAF
What is the PhotoSAF feature?
The PhotoSAF feature on the Consultant Connect App enables users to take IG-secure patient photos from their mobile phone.
What happens after taking clinical photos via PhotoSAF?
Photos taken using the app are never saved to personal devices but are automatically saved in a secure cloud, which can be accessed by logging in to Consultant Connect in your browser (using the same credentials used to access the app). Photos with a valid NHS number input are also automatically integrated into patient records.
PhotoSAF is ideal for:
- Remote consultations – use the platform to upload and securely share photos taken by patients
- Face-to-face consultations – a ‘patient consent’ step is built into the app, removing the need for additional paperwork
- Taking multiple images to record the history/changes to a condition over time (e.g., mole mapping)
The Consultant Connect Awards 2023
Using Consultant Connect for Frailty Pathways
Joe Matthews, Senior Urgent and Emergency Care Lead at NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB) ICB, discusses how relaunching their frailty line with Consultant Connect August 2021 has allowed Primary Care clinicians and ambulance teams to have a conversation and practice the ‘call before convey’ method before unnecessarily bringing a frailty patient into a busy ED.
Click here to find out more.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any additional questions or need service support from us, please call us on 01865 951 207 or email hello@consultantconnect.org.uk.
How can the service be accessed?
The quickest way to access the service is via the free Consultant Connect App (download on the App Store or Google Play). Only devices running on an Apple operating system (iOS) of 16 and above or an Android operating system of 12 and above will support the Consultant Connect App. This is to comply with the latest data protection regulations. Within the app, clinicians can make Telephone A&G calls at the touch of a button as specialty access numbers are pre-programmed.
The Consultant Connect App is a cloud-based service, and therefore, no patient information is stored on the device or within the app. This includes the safe clinical photography feature – PhotoSAF. Photos taken via the app are stored in an IG-secure and GDPR-compliant cloud and not on the device, meaning photos won’t appear on your camera roll or in the recently deleted folder. The photos are automatically sent to your NHS email address and can also be accessed via Consultant Connect in your browser from any device by logging in using your credentials for the app.
Telephone A&G can also be accessed by calling your surgery’s unique Dial-In Number from any phone. Your Dial-In Number, the specialties you have access to, and their operating hours can be found in your Service Directory. If you do not have your Dial-In Number or Service Directory link, please contact the Consultant Connect Team at hello@consultantconnect.org.uk.
The time it takes a clinician to connect to a specialist for Telephone A&G is just 27 seconds (UK average).
If you are a locum clinician, work within multiple organisations, or have recently changed practice, please email hello@consultantconnect.org.uk for us to provide you with the correct access.
Is the app safe for me to download on my personal phone?
Yes, in addition to Consultant Connect App activity being stored in an IG-secure cloud, two-factor authentication is also required upon initial registration.
Use of the app is entirely voluntary; you can access Telephone A&G via your practice’s unique Dial-In Number, and you can view your activity and photos by logging in to Consultant Connect in your browser, using your credentials for the app.
Is the service free?
The service is free, meaning there is no cost to users other than the cost of a local telephone call if you are seeking Telephone A&G. The Consultant Connect App can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play.
I have forgotten my password; what should I do?
You can reset your password here.
Does this service replace other A&G routes?
No, this service aims to provide users with additional options for quicker and more efficient access to advice and guidance. Pre-existing routes, such as email and local referral systems, will continue to be available.
Who is responsible for the patient whose care is being discussed?
The clinician seeking the advice remains responsible for deciding what treatment is to be provided following receipt of the guidance and whether a referral or admission is appropriate for the patient.
Why do users need to input the NHS number?
The NHS number is attached to the medico-legal call recordings and to assist subsequent retrieval by relevant GP practices and/or hospital teams should it be necessary as a patient identifier.
If no NHS number is input by the Primary Care clinician, the recordings/PDFs can still be tracked by a date/time reference. If you don’t have access to the patient’s NHS number, you will still be able to initiate an advice query.
Why is providing the outcome important?
Leaving an outcome allows your commissioning organisation to monitor the effectiveness of the service. The information also supports the addition of new specialties to the service.
Will specialists have access to any patient records?
Specialists are often away from their desks when they take a call. You should assume that the specialists will not have access to any patient records. Any advice given will be based entirely on the information that is provided by you to the specialists via telephone.
Can I access call recordings?
All calls made via the service are recorded for medico-legal reasons. Call recordings can be accessed in your browser, by logging in with your credentials for the app.
Once in Consultant Connect, click on ‘Reports’ and the sub-category ‘Calls’. In the call report, you will see that for any calls you have made, under the column ‘Recording’, there is a cloud icon. Clicking this icon will automatically start downloading an MP3 file of your call to your device.
There is no expiry date for call recordings, so you can go back and listen to previous A&G calls whenever necessary.
Please note that calls can only be downloaded via your browser and not via the app.
Who should I call for help with the service?
For any service/technical queries, please call the Consultant Connect Team on 01865 261467 or email us at hello@consultantconnect.org.uk.
Make the most of your Consultant Connect service
The Consultant Connect service is free to clinicians across Buckinghamshire. These videos help clinicians get started with Consultant Connect and include step-by-step explanations of how to use and make the most of the service. Click here to watch them on the Consultant Connect Vimeo channel.
Your Consultant Connect Account Manager
Stephen Lamb
Customer Success Manager
Each Consultant Connect project has a dedicated Account Manager who takes a consultative approach, collaborating with key stakeholders to understand objectives, priorities and pressure points before developing a project strategy and implementing supporting tactics.
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