Sheffield Teaching Hospital’s urgent suspected cancer (USC) dermatology pathway has been redesigned to deliver faster patient care by optimising referral quality. Since December 2024, over 13,000 referrals have been reviewed, resulting in a significant improvement in waiting list performance.
Moving the service to Consultant Connect introduced a hunt group, allowing calls to be routed to available members of the frailty team, rather than relying on one specialist answering all calls.
For clinicians making time-critical decisions, there was a higher chance of reaching the right specialist quickly, without needing to repeatedly call a busy or unanswered line.
We highlight ways Consultant Connect is already helping systems strengthen their urgent and emergency care offering in time for winter.
In England, the NHS’ Long Term Plan identifies CVD as a clinical priority and the single biggest condition in which lives can be saved over the next 10 years.
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.
Our Referral Triage and Clinical Validation service uses the expertise of NHS consultants who work remotely as ‘virtual locums’ to triage referral backlogs in bulk and new referrals as they come in.
This International Nurses Day, we’re taking the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution nurses make to the NHS.
This Mental Health Awareness Week, we want to celebrate how NHS healthcare professionals are utilising Consultant Connect services to support with ensuring patients receive the right care faster.
It is undoubtedly proven that Advice & Guidance (A&G) avoids unnecessary hospital visits. However, for A&G to be truly effective, specialists need to manage the workload and reply promptly and reliably.
As well as helping clear backlogs, triage outcomes highlighted where existing pathways were helping patients access the right care, and where there were opportunities for pathway re-design.