Primary Care –

Everything you need to know

Getting started with Consultant Connect

You can access the service via:

 

  • The free Consultant Connect App
  • Your surgery’s unique Dial-in Number
  • Consultant Connect in your browser
Please note: services may vary by locality
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Why use Consultant Connect?

There are many benefits of using Consultant Connect some of which are:

 

  • Speak to specialist clinicians for pre-referral advice and guidance over the telephone.
  • Calls are answered by a rota of specialists in under 30 seconds (UK average).
  • Data-rich reports.
  • Fully account managed.

Register & sign in

You’ll need to use your NHS email address to set up your account.

For support setting up your account, watch our short ‘How to sign up’ video above or email us.

Once you have created your account, you’ll be able to use the same credentials to download and use the Consultant Connect App or log in to Consultant Connect in your browser.

Please note that only devices running on an Apple operating system (iOS) of 15 and above or an Android operating system of 12 and above will support the Consultant Connect App.

Accessing Service Qr

Accessing the service

The quickest way to access the service is via the free Consultant Connect App.

You can download the Consultant Connect App by searching ‘Consultant Connect’ on Google Play or the App Store.

Once logged into the app, you will see a list of your available Telephone Advice & Guidance specialties.

In areas where this is enabled, via the app, you will also have access to Messaging Advice & Guidance and the IG-secure clinical photography feature, PhotoSAF.

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Accessing Service Qr

Why use Consultant Connect?

There are many benefits of using Consultant Connect some of which are:

 

  • Speak to specialist clinicians for pre-referral advice and guidance over the telephone.
  • Calls are answered by a rota of specialists in under 33 seconds (UK average)
  • Data rich reports
  • Fully account managed

Register & sign in

You’ll need to use your NHS email address to set up your account.

For support setting up your account, watch our short ‘How to sign up’ video above or email us.

Once you have created your account, you’ll be able to use the same credentials to download and use the Consultant Connect App or log in to Consultant Connect in your browser.

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.

Accessing the service

The quickest way to access the service is via the free Consultant Connect App.

You can download the Consultant Connect App by searching ‘Consultant Connect’ on Google Play or the App Store.

Once logged into the app, you will see a list of your available Telephone Advice & Guidance specialties.

In areas where this is enabled, via the app, you will also have access to Messaging Advice & Guidance and the IG-secure clinical photography feature, PhotoSAF.

Browser
Accessing Service
Photosaf

Consultant Connect in your browser

Accessing Consultant Connect in your browser allows you to view your Consultant Connect activity (calls, photos, messages).

It is beneficial for practice managers and admin teams to have access to this feature so they can view and download PID reports.

Users with admin rights can view activity across your surgery.

If you cannot access the app or experience poor phone signal, Consultant Connect in your browser can be used to make calls via the Desktop Calling feature and send messages. 

 

Accessing your Service Directory

Your Service Directory will show your surgery’s unique Dial-In Number, all available Telephone A&G specialties, and their operating hours.

To access your Service Directory, click the button below and enter your Dial-In Number.

If you don’t know your Dial-In Number, please email hello@consultantconnect.org.uk or call us on 01865 951 207.

Safe clinical photography

Clinicians use Consultant Connect via the app to take, store and share photos and files directly to specialist NHS clinicians for pre-referral advice and guidance. Photos are saved to the secure cloud and never stored on phones.

This service is ideal for:

  • Remote consultations – access Consultant Connect in your browser to upload and securely share photos taken by patients or existing files
  • 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
Browser

Consultant Connect in your browser

Accessing Consultant Connect in your browser allows you to view your Consultant Connect activity (calls, photos, messages).

It is beneficial for practice managers and admin teams to have access to this feature so they can view and download PID reports.

Users with admin rights can view activity across your surgery.

Accessing Service

Accessing your Service Directory

Your Service Directory will show your surgery’s unique Dial-In Number, all available Telephone A&G specialties, and their operating hours.

To access your Service Directory, click the button below and enter your Dial-In Number.

If you don’t know your Dial-In Number, please email hello@consultantconnect.org.uk or call us on 01865 951 207.

Photosaf

Safe clinical photography

Clinicians use Consultant Connect via the app or in their browser to take, store and share photos and files directly to specialist NHS clinicians for pre-referral advice and guidance. Photos are saved to the secure cloud and never stored on phones.

This service is ideal for:

  • Remote consultations – access Consultant Connect in your browser 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

Useful Links

Start-Up Guide

This guide will help you enjoy all the features of the Consultant Connect App and browser.

Click the button below to download a copy.

Video guides

View some of our handy video guides on getting started and how to get the most from your access.

FAQs

Here are some of our most common questions.

If you have any additional questions or need service support, please call us on 01865 951 207 or email hello@consultantconnect.org.uk

Meet your Account Manager

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The Account Management Team are here to help you get the most out of the service.

Each NHS area is assigned a dedicated Account Manager who can provide bespoke service demonstrations and Q&A sessions, as well as curating tailored communication and engagement strategies to raise awareness and encourage uptake of the service.

The team also provide regular reports and insights, reviewing and refining the project strategy based on these insights and gathering feedback through surveys and case studies.

Have you got a question or just want to meet your Account Manager?

Simply complete the form and we will be in touch shortly!

Permissions

Terms & Conditions

Ch Slider Icons

80% of users would recommend Consultant Connect to
a colleague

Doctor Icon

Get rapid access to Advice & Guidance from a range of specialties through a single number or via the app

Secure Message

Send secure messages and / or share photos with specialists all within our app

Ig Secure

Take IG-secure clinical photos

Cpd

Earn CPD credits and download your CPD statements

Advice

Get pre-referral advice from specialists before creating referrals

Do more with Consultant Connect

Cpd Credits

Earn CPD credits

Our CPD accreditation means that learning time is recorded, and Primary Care clinicians in most areas using Consultant Connect now automatically earn CPD credits.

Reports Tab

Reports in your browser

Accessing Consultant Connect in your browser allows you to view your Consultant Connect activity (calls, photos, messages*). Often practice managers and admin staff are granted access, so they can review practice-wide usage of the service and download relevant reports.

(available services will differ by hospital and/or locality)

Primary Care Integration

Integrated with Primary Care

Our service integrates with primary care patient records saving you time and resources.

When a valid NHS number is input and an outcome is left (when applicable), if your practice administrator ‘accepts’ the PDF, Consultant Connect activity will appear in the patient’s record with a time and date stamp.

Advice Refer

Advice & Refer

Advice and referrals in half the steps of e-RS.

Our new Advice and Refer service links our advice platform, the most used in the NHS, with the e-RS referrals system.

It’s the easiest and most seamless way to review a patient’s case and, if necessary, refer them to a clinic.

Do more with Consultant Connect

Cpd Credits
Reports Tab
Primary Care Integration
Advice Refer

Earn CPD Credits

Our CPD accreditation means that learning time is recorded and Primary Care clinicians in most areas using Consultant Connect, now automatically earn CPD credits.

Reports in your browser

Accessing Consultant Connect in your browser allows you to view your Consultant Connect activity (calls, photos, messages*). Often practice managers and admin staff are granted access, so they can review practice-wide usage of the service and download relevant reports.

(*services available will differ by hospital and/or locality)

Integrated with primary care

Our service integrates with primary care patient records saving you time and resources.

When a valid NHS number is input and an outcome is left (when applicable), if your practice administrator ‘accepts’ the PDF, Consultant Connect activity will appear in the patient’s record with a time and date stamp.

Advice & Refer

Advice and referrals in half the steps of e-RS.

Our new Advice and Refer service links our advice platform, the most used in the NHS, with the e-RS referrals system.

It’s the easiest and most seamless way to review a patient’s case and, if necessary, refer them to a clinic.

‘I use Consultant Connect regularly for dermatology queries. The team respond quickly with brilliant treatment advice. Not only does this improve patient care, but it serves as a learning platform for me.’

– GP in Bromley, South East London ICB

‘It helps with early diagnosis and management of patients, and prevents unnecessary referrals and long waits for them. Also good for GPs learning on the go.’

– Resident doctor in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes

‘The ease of getting almost-instant advice from a number of specialties, bypassing switchboard and bleep systems has been a game changer of us.’

– Primary Care clinician in Salford

 

 

‘I am a practice nurse and having the facility to photograph a wound and have it downloaded so quickly negates the need to call GPs into the room to see the problem. It saves so much time.’

– Nurse in Dorset

‘The system creates a connection between GPs and secondary care. It allows our colleagues to witness the challenges faced by GPs and the uncertainty we manage on a moment-to-moment basis. It has the potential to create an atmosphere of compassion, understanding, and teamwork, something which has been missing for a long time.’

– GP in Salford

‘Great and vital access to specialists. Without it, the job would be near impossible, as a GP, seeing so many patients with such short amounts of time available.’

– GP in Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB

‘Super easy way to take photos within data protection rules, and I love that they automatically upload into our system (Emis).’

– Primary Care clinician in Oxfordshire

‘It’s like having a consultant in my pocket. It reduces time I would have to spend searching for answers and feeling uncertain and worried, and stops me ordering unnecessary tests and doing unnecessary referrals. It helps me and the patient feel more confident of my diagnosis and aids my learning.’

– GP in Barnet, North Central London 

‘Consultant Connect was the best thing that happened in COVID for my clinical practice in primary care. It helps us learn, work together and refer fewer patients to secondary care. We can use more specialist management than working solely as primary care clinicians in a hugely time sparing way that helps us, but ultimately our patients.’

– Primary Care clinician in England

Consultant Connect in practice

Primary Care Customer Area - Consultant Connect
Over 5,000 GP practices across the UK have access to rapid Advice & Guidance via Consultant Connect.

Read our GP case studies to find out how the service is being used to improve patient care.

Primary Care Customer Area - Consultant Connect
When Consultant Connect first started providing Advice & Guidance, it was primarily GPs who used the service to speak to specialists. Now it’s a wider range of NHS medics and community healthcare providers.

Read our nurse case studies to find out more about their experience of using the service.

Primary Care Customer Area - Consultant Connect
How are Ambulance Trusts using NHS Advice & Guidance via Consultant Connect?

Read our paramedic case studies to find out more.

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Consultant Connect in practice

Primary Care Customer Area - Consultant Connect
Primary Care Customer Area - Consultant Connect
Primary Care Customer Area - Consultant Connect

Over 5,600 GP practices across the UK have access to rapid Advice & Guidance via Consultant Connect.

Read our GP case studies to find out how the service is being used to improve patient care.

When Consultant Connect first started providing Advice & Guidance, it was primarily GPs who used the service to speak to specialists. Now it’s a wider range of NHS medics and community healthcare providers.

Read our nurse case studies to find out more about their experience of using the service.

How are Ambulance Trusts using NHS Advice & Guidance via Consultant Connect?

Read our paramedic case studies to find out more.

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Useful Links

Getting started with Consultant Connect

This short guide will help you enjoy all the features of the Consultant Connect App and browser.

Click the button below to download a copy

GP case study: Telederm - Consultant Connect

Welcome to our suggestion box!

 

We will use your feedback to further develop our services.

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Wales Customer Area - Consultant Connect
Consultant Connect
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