National Network case study: Cardiology

Dr Mo Sahebjalal, a consultant on the National Consultant Network, answers a Phone Advice & Guidance call, avoiding an unnecessary referral for a 75-year-old patient with a rash.

“It’s definitely helping patient care and avoiding unnecessary admissions.” Dr Sahebjalal

Dr Mo Sahebjalal describes his experience of answering Phone Advice & Guidance calls from GPs across the UK via our National Consultant Network.

Dr Mo Sahebjalal has been a Consultant Cardiologist for two years. He joined the National Consultant Network in December 2018, answering Phone Advice & Guidance calls from GPs across the UK.

Dr Sahebjalal has enjoyed answering calls from GPs via the National Consultant Network, saying the benefits to him, as a consultant, include:

“Getting to talk to a number of GPs based in different practices. It also helps to understand what the main or recurring issues and concerns are in the community.”

Dr Sahebjalal encourages other consultants to join the National Consultant Network as:

“It’s definitely helping patient care and avoiding unnecessary admissions.”

He also encourages GPs to use the service. Whether speaking to a local consultant or a consultant on the National Consultant Network, Dr Sahebjalal tells GPs:

“It’s worth the phone call, especially if you’re not sure about a patient.”

We asked Dr Sahebjalal to provide a recent example of the advice he gave to a GP regarding a patient.

A GP used Phone Advice & Guidance to contact Dr Sahebjalal regarding a “75-year-old patient who had been taking clopidogrel and had a rash as a result.”

How Phone Advice & Guidance through the National Consultant Network helped:

The GP was unsure whether the patient should be admitted to hospital. During the Phone Advice & Guidance call, the GP explained the history and situation of the patient.

As a result of the immediate conversation between the GP and Dr Sahebjalal, the patient “avoided a referral to the hospital.”

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