Since moving Buckinghamshire’s Silver Phone to Consultant Connect in August 2021:
- More than 4,700 frailty calls have been made
- Calls are answered in an average of 17 seconds
- 80% of calls are answered the first time
- 93% of calls result in patients avoiding unnecessary A&E attendances or hospital admissions, including 35% of patients who are treated out of hospital
The move gives clinicians a more reliable route to senior frailty expertise whilst providing the Trust with visibility of demand, response times, and call outcomes.
Improving access to the frailty team
The original Silver Phone provided direct access to consultant geriatricians, but calls were not recorded and did not cycle between specialists if someone was unavailable. This meant that calls would regularly go unanswered, resulting in a poor connection rate.
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.
Supporting decisions before hospital attendance
The Frailty Advice line enables primary care and ambulance clinicians to speak directly to the frailty team before deciding whether a patient needs to go to hospital.
Advice can support a range of outcomes, including:
- Treatment within the community
- Referral to an outpatient pathway
- Frailty Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC)
- Hospital at Home
- Hospital admission where clinically appropriate
Since the pathway’s introduction, 35% of all calls have resulted in patients being treated outside of hospital, whilst 59% were navigated to outpatient services. The value is not only in reducing admissions, but in aiding rapid clinical discussions to help determine the most appropriate destination for patients.
Making pathway performance visible
Routing the Frailty Advice line through Consultant Connect has also created an evidence based that was not available through the previous pathway setup. Call activity, response times, and outcomes can be monitored, giving the Trust a clear view of frailty advice demand, how the service is being utilised, where patients are being directed, and the extent to which hospital attendance is being avoided.
This provides a more measurable basis for reviewing capacity, identifying pathway gaps, and demonstrating the impact of the service.
*Data correct as of September 2026
If you have any questions or would like more information, call us on 01865 951207 or email hello@consultantconnect.org.uk.
