‘The advantage of Consultant Connect is that you can receive a response quickly, so you don’t need to delay treatment while waiting for a referral response. You can move forward confidently and treat the patient appropriately without unnecessary delay.’
Rapid orthodontic advice supports timely referral in Hywel Dda
Dr Christina Evans, a dentist in Hywel Dda University Health Board (HD), uses Consultant Connect to seek rapid messaging advice from consultants at Morriston Hospital in Swansea Bay University Health Board. We spoke with her to learn how access to the service supports her clinical decision-making and helps ensure her patients receive timely care.
HD Dentistry in numbers*:
2
messaging specialties
74%
of messages result in an avoided hospital visit
483
messages sent
>24 hrs
average response time
As a dentist, what are your biggest challenges?
‘The difficulty we have is the referrals and the time they take. I’m new to using Consultant Connect, but the reason I find it so useful is the speed at which I receive a reply.
‘I sent a message on Tuesday afternoon and had a reply by Wednesday morning, so it was pretty much instant. The consultant provided guidance on the best course of action and the appropriate referral pathway for the patient.
‘As a dentist, you don’t want to waste any time completing unnecessary referrals, but at the same time, you don’t want to delay referrals either.’
‘The difficulty we have is the referrals and the time they take. I’m new to using Consultant Connect, but the reason I find it so useful is the speed at which I receive a reply.’
Orthodontics: avoiding delays to treatment for nine-year-old patient
‘I had a nine-year-old patient with a significant Class II skeletal relationship. I had originally referred her nearly two years ago to orthodontics because she had been diagnosed with early puberty, and any significant Class II skeletal relationship needs to be managed during growth with a functional appliance. So timing was critical.
‘I was trying to factor in waiting times, which can be years long, but the referral was rejected with the comment: “wait until the patient has more permanent teeth”.
‘More recently, I saw her again, and her condition was deteriorating, which was impacting her at school. She was growing more, and the skeletal pattern was getting worse. I didn’t know what to do, because she was otherwise fit and healthy.
‘Technically, she wasn’t ready to be referred because she didn’t yet have all her adult teeth, but she had grown quickly, and I felt we might miss the optimal time for treatment.
‘I took some photos of the patient and sent them with a message to the orthodontics team at Morriston Hospital via Consultant Connect. I explained the situation and that I was worried about missing the window of opportunity for treatment.
‘The consultant responded, advising that a referral at this stage would be appropriate. I then referred the patient and indicated that I had sought advice from an orthodontic consultant who agreed with my decision.
‘The patient’s family received a call approximately two days after I sent the referral to make an appointment. It was reassuring to know that I had done the right thing and that the advice supported my decision to refer.’
As a dentist, are your treatment plans affected by other conditions patients might have?
‘We are looking at the person as a whole, not just their mouth. Whatever treatment we provide can impact their overall health, so we can’t completely separate our care from that of other specialties, because we are all treating the same patient.
‘It’s important to prioritise what’s most important for the patient. Sometimes, the general medicine treatment a patient receives is more important than dental treatment.
‘The advantage of Consultant Connect is that you can receive a response quickly, so you don’t need to delay treatment while waiting for a referral response. You can move forward confidently and treat the patient appropriately without unnecessary delay.’
* Correct as of March 2026
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