Scotland Map June2024

 

Consultant Connect in NHS Scotland

Consultant Connect is transforming patient care across Scotland through better communications. Connecting healthcare professionals helps patients get the best medical advice, and the NHS make the most out of its resources. To date, this is resulting in between 30– 60% of patients avoiding an unnecessary hospital conveyance.

Professional-to-Professional clinical decisions

Primary Care clinicians refer fewer patients to hospital if they get timely specialist input first. Our services enable them to access Professional-to-Professional clinical decisions (Prof-to-Prof) to safely manage more patients in the community.

 

What are the benefits of Prof-to-Prof?

  • Connects rural communities, enhancing communication between healthcare professionals
  • All data is stored in the cloud, making the service IG-secure so it can be used with complete confidence on personal devices
  • Users can be attached to multiple organisations (in participating NHS areas), which is ideal for locum clinicians
  • Activity is recorded and tracked for medico-legal purposes, and can be used to inform decisions within teams and provides a valuable training tool
  • Helps prevent unnecessary hospital conveyances, ensuring patients get the right care in the right place the first time
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‘As a general practitioner having to deal with increasingly complex issues, Consultant Connect is greatly appreciated as it helps with the management of patients.’ 

– GP in Scotland

 

‘Really helpful service for expert advice in situations where admission is likely not required, but advice is needed to effectively manage patients.’

– Secondary Care clinician in Scotland

 

‘Direct access to a consultant can be extremely valuable for patient management, especially avoiding unnecessary referrals to already busy hospital acute receiving teams.’

– Primary Care clinician in Scotland

 

‘Useful way of signposting patients to the correct service.’

– Secondary Care clinician in Scotland

‘It’s a great idea for improving communication between primary and secondary care without undue disruption for the hospital consultants.’

– Secondary Care clinician in Scotland

 

I have used the Consultant Connect paediatric service a lot over the past few years and have found it incredibly useful, both in terms of managing emergency referrals and discussing less acute patient issues.’

– Primary Care clinician in Scotland

 

As community nurses, we use Consultant Connect to take photos, e.g., wounds, to send to GPs/district nurse colleagues/podiatry, which is a very useful function.’ 

– Community nurse in Scotland

 

Using Consultant Connect allows near-immediate access to specialists who provide very helpful advice. A great service from a GP’s perspective!’

– GP in Scotland

 

‘I utilise Consultant Connect for storing patient photos, eliminating the need to retain them on my personal device. Additionally, the growing number of specialties makes the platform increasingly valuable.’

– Primary Care clinician in Scotland

 

See what your colleagues say

Consultant Connect in NHS Scotland

Services and Impact in NHS Scotland

Find out how Scottish Health Boards and the Scottish Ambulance Service are using Consultant Connect to transform communication and improve patient care.

Best Practice Guidance for Professional to Professional Decision Support
We’re delighted that Consultant Connect is featured in the Scottish Government Best Practice Document: Best Practice Guidance for Professional to Professional Decision Support. We’ve replicated the features in the article below.
Hb Scotland June 24
Best Practice Guidance for Professional to Professional Decision Support - Consultant Connect

Consultant Connect in NHS Scotland

Services and Impact in NHS Scotland

Find out how Scottish Health Boards and the Scottish Ambulance Service are using Consultant Connect to transform communication and improve patient care.

3 Hb Scotland
Best Practice Guidance for Professional to Professional Decision Support
We’re delighted that Consultant Connect is featured in the Scottish Government Best Practice Document: Best Practice Guidance for Professional to Professional Decision Support. We’ve replicated the features in the article below.
Best Practice Guidance for Professional to Professional Decision Support - Consultant Connect

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Consultant Connect services

supporting NHS areas across the UK

Referral Triage

Referral Triage and Validation

Our clinically-led Referral Triage and Validation service supports hospitals needing additional temporary capacity for referrals. The service uses the clinical expertise of NHS consultant, across 17 specialties from our National Consultant Network (NCN). Working remotely, as ‘virtual locums’ they follow local pathways and protocols, and, under the leadership of local clinical leads, support with triaging and validating waiting list backlogs in bulk or and/or new referrals as they come in. On average 29% of referrals reviewed through the service are taken off the waiting list and patients returned to their GP with management plans.

Ncn

National Consultant Network

The National Consultant Network (NCN) comprises out-of-area NHS consultants who can answer pre-referral Prof-to-Prof calls or review photos and messages. The consultants can act as a backup for local teams and provide locally unavailable specialties. If you are short of staff, the NCN can be switched on in just 24-48 hours. It can also be switched off that quickly when it’s no longer needed.

Patient Connect

Patient Connect

Clinicians use Patient Connect to deliver IG-secure virtual consultations, allowing them to contribute to patient care whilst working remotely. Patients receive the right care faster, and clinicians only see the patients they need to see. All data and call recordings are available via Consultant Connect in your browser.

Pifu

Patient Initiated Follow Up

Our Patient Initiated Follow Up Service (PIFU) service enables patients to initiate an IG-secure virtual consultation with a specialist clinician.

The service reduces unnecessary visits to hospital, patient waiting times and releases the clinical teams to see patients in a more timely manner.

There is no doubt that this is the simplest, most effective way of delivering follow-up consultations where the clinician does not need to see the patient.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine Devices

Our state-of-the-art virtual care devices allow NHS specialists to be fully available in the care of patients, without having to be physically at the bed side. The devices are easily replicable across a number of settings, whether it is instant access to Prof-to-Prof, to help with resuscitation, or for routine ward rounds, the timely delivery of safe care is a key factor. As well as providing remote support and reassurance to colleagues, the devices help make job planning far more efficient with the reduction in cross-site travel, enabling self-isolating or shielding consultants to participate and a reduction in locum costs.

Findout More (1)
Referral Triage

Referral Triage and Validation

Our clinically-led Referral Triage and Validation service supports hospitals needing additional temporary capacity for referrals. The service uses the clinical expertise of NHS consultant, across 17 specialties from our National Consultant Network (NCN). Working remotely, as ‘virtual locums’ they follow local pathways and protocols, and, under the leadership of local clinical leads, support with triaging and validating waiting list backlogs in bulk or and/or new referrals as they come in. On average 29% of referrals reviewed through the service are taken off the waiting list and patients returned to their GP with management plans.

Ncn

National Consultant Network

The National Consultant Network (NCN) comprises out-of-area NHS consultants who can answer pre-referral Prof-to-Prof calls or review photos and messages. The consultants can act as a backup for local teams and provide locally unavailable specialties. If you are short of staff, the NCN can be switched on in just 24-48 hours. It can also be switched off that quickly when it’s no longer needed.

Patient Connect

Patient Connect

Clinicians use Patient Connect to deliver IG-secure virtual consultations, allowing them to contribute to patient care whilst working remotely. Patients receive the right care faster, and clinicians only see the patients they need to see. All data and call recordings are available via Consultant Connect in your browser.

Pifu

Patient Initiated Follow Up

Our Patient Initiated Follow Up Service (PIFU) service enables patients to initiate an IG-secure virtual consultation with a specialist clinician.

The service reduces unnecessary visits to hospital, patient waiting times and releases the clinical teams to see patients in a more timely manner.

There is no doubt that this is the simplest, most effective way of delivering follow-up consultations where the clinician does not need to see the patient.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine Devices

Our state-of-the-art virtual care devices allow NHS specialists to be fully available in the care of patients, without having to be physically at the bed side. The devices are easily replicable across a number of settings, whether it is instant access to Prof-to-Prof, to help with resuscitation, or for routine ward rounds, the timely delivery of safe care is a key factor. As well as providing remote support and reassurance to colleagues, the devices help make job planning far more efficient with the reduction in cross-site travel, enabling self-isolating or shielding consultants to participate and a reduction in locum costs.

Findout More (1)
- Consultant Connect

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