Two ways virtual clinical capacities can relieve pressures on hospital teams
In this article, we share examples of how virtual clinical capacity is supporting NHS areas across the UK to relieve pressure on local teams and improve patient care.
1. Clearing waiting list backlogs
Our clinically-led Referral Triage and Validation service, delivered by NHS consultants on the National Consultant Network (NCN), provides post-referral Advice & Guidance (A&G) in the form of virtual management plans for long waiters or new referrals, and has proven to reduce waiting lists by 38% on average, even more in some specialties. The service supports Trusts with clinical staffing challenges by bringing in temporary NHS consultant capacity as ‘virtual locums’. They work remotely and follow local pathways and protocols under the Trust’s clinical lead.
Examples:
- Example 1: >14,000 cardiology referrals triaged to date, resulting in 41% of patients diverted from the waiting list and either returned to primary care with a comprehensive management plan or redirected to a community provision or other service.
- Example 2: 5,500 Urgent Suspected Cancer (USC) dermatology cases triaged, allowing 13% of referrals to be safely removed from the waiting list, either being discharged back to primary care or redirected to plastic surgery non-USC. The remaining 87% were directed to the right place, the first time.
- Example 3: >12,000 E.N.T referrals were triaged, with 48% of patients treated outside of hospital, and 52% receiving an urgent or routine appointment, with diagnostics beforehand where needed.
- Example 4: >9,000 neurology referrals triaged, which were a combination of new-in, A&G, follow-ups and long-waiters. 37% of patients were safely returned to the referrer with detailed advice and guidance or redirected to another service. 63% were accepted for an appointment with the correct priority, or allocated a nurse-led follow-up.
2. Out-of-area NHS consultants delivering A&G
A lot of NHS areas now use the NCN to support their local teams as back-up or cover locally-unavailable specialties for A&G. Why? Because it’s flexible, scalable and immediate. The service can be rapidly switched on/switched off to provide short or long-term relief.
Examples:
- Area 1: did not have sufficient local consultant cover to be able to offer a full A&G service. Instead, primary care clinicians have rapid access to NCN consultants in 17 telephone and 20 message specialties, allowing them to receive timely, expert advice when it matters most.
- Area 2: could not offer a local dermatology service. They introduced general dermatology and dermatology lesion messaging services using out-of-area NHS consultants via Consultant Connect, freeing up already-busy local specialists. On average, messages received via the service are answered within 13 hours, and 73% of queries result in patients avoiding unnecessary referrals*.
- Area 3: switched on the NCN due to locally unavailable services, providing them with secure and rapid specialist input via telephone and photo messaging from more than 30 specialties.
* Correct as of January 2026.
For more information, get in touch:
If you have any questions or would like to find out how virtual clinical capacities can help your area, email hello@consultantconnect.org.uk, call us on 01865 951 207 or fill in the short form below to request a call back from the team:
Related materials:
- Referral Triage and Validation: reducing the ever-increasing elective care waiting list
- How the National Consultant Network is strengthening specialist capacity across the NHS
- Impact of neurology: divert 43% of referrals
- How a single conversation helped resolve a patient’s long-standing symptoms in Greater Manchester
- Messaging advice provided by NHS consultant avoids unnecessary hospital visit for patient with secondary cancer
- How NCN consultants are helping to transform patient care in Medway and Swale
