Primary Care Wales –

Everything you need to know

Since 2020, across Wales, clinicians have:

Advice

 Been connected to a specialist in 25 seconds on average

Calls

Made more than 400,000 calls for pre-referral/admission advice

Secure Message

Sent more than 50,000 messages

Ig Secure

Taken more than 150,000 secure patient images
Getting Started
Do more with Consultant Connect

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
8
Accessing Service Qr

Why use Consultant Connect?

There are many benefits of using Consultant Connect including:

 

  • Speak to specialist clinicians for pre-referral advice and guidance over the telephone
  • Calls are answered by a rota of specialists in under 25 seconds (Wales average)
  • Take IG-secure patient photos on your personal device with a built-in ‘patient consent’ step
  • Send secure messages to specialists, attaching images, reports, and files where needed
Learn more

Sign up & login

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 16 and above or an Android operating system of 12 and above will support the Consultant Connect App.

Register

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.

Apple App Store
Google Play Store
Browser
Service Directory
Photosaf

Consultant Connect in your browser

Consultant Connect in your browser can be used to make calls via the Desktop Calling feature and send messages.

Consultant Connect in your browser can also be utilised for data collection purposes; you can access all your Consultant Connect activity (calls, photos, messages) and download call recordings.

Simply log in using your credentials for the app or sign up with your NHS email address. Service managers and admin teams can also be granted access to this feature so that they can pull reports.

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 261 467.

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

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
8

Why use Consultant Connect?

There are many benefits of using Consultant Connect including:

 

  • Speak to specialist clinicians for pre-referral advice and guidance over the telephone
  • Calls are answered by a rota of specialists in under 25 seconds (Wales average)
  • Take IG-secure patient photos on your personal device with a built-in ‘patient consent’ step
  • Send secure messages to specialists, attaching images, reports, and files where needed
Learn more

Sign up & login

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 11 and above will support the Consultant Connect App.

Register
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.

Apple App Store
Google Play Store
Browser

Consultant Connect in your browser

Consultant Connect in your browser can be used to make calls via the Desktop Calling feature and send messages.

Consultant Connect in your browser can also be utilised for data collection purposes; you can access all your Consultant Connect activity (calls, photos, messages) and download call recordings.

Simply log in using your credentials for the app or sign up with your NHS email address. Service managers and admin teams can also be granted access to this feature so that they can pull reports.

Login now
Service Directory

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 261 467.

Access your Service Directory
Photosaf

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
Learn more

Useful Links

Start Up Guide

Start-Up Guide

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.

Download the Start-Up Guide
How To (1)

How to guides

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

View our Wales how to guides
FAQs – Referral Triage / Clinical Validation for the NHS - Consultant Connect

FAQs

Here are some of our most common questions.

If you have any additional questions or need service support, please call us on 01865 261 467 or email hello@consultantconnect.org.uk

View our Primary Care FAQs

‘It’s a fantastic service; I always receive quick replies with great advice. I was able to diagnose a suspected SCC and arranged a quick appointment with a dermatologist.’

– Primary Care clinician in Wales

‘My patients have been delighted with the quick advice and guidance I have been able to feed back to them directly from consultants, avoiding months of waiting for outpatient appointments. The consultants are all very helpful, giving concise and useful advice and I learn new things with each conversation, so it is CPD as well.’

– Primary Care clinician in Wales

‘It’s a useful resource and has helped me manage a number of difficult cases in surgery therefore avoiding a referral and delay to treatment.’

– Primary Care clinician in Wales

‘There are multiple examples of advice being sought that has benefited myself, the patient and, in doing so, the whole system. I have used teledermatology and cardiology and have always had prompt and valuable advice with explanation, which provides educational value.’

– Primary Care clinician in Wales

‘I spoke to paediatrics about an 8-year-old boy with what sounded like migraines. His symptoms were incredibly debilitating, and he was missing a lot of school. I spoke to a very knowledgeable paediatrician who took the time to listen to the history and gave me very clear, detailed advice about what further examination I needed to do and what medications to begin. The child’s mother contacted me a few weeks later to say that he is a different child, and even the school has commented on how his behaviour has improved. His treatment would have been delayed by months if I’d had to refer him along normal pathways.’

– Primary Care clinician in Wales

 

 

‘The ease of access and speed of consultant replies drastically improves patient care.’

– Primary Care clinician in Wales

‘It’s a very good resource and helps me with decision-making and reassures me of my treatment plans.’

– Primary Care clinician in Wales

‘This service greatly benefits my patients for timely advice, sometimes avoiding months of waiting for an outpatient appointment. I benefit too as I learn something with every conversation.’

– Primary Care clinician in Wales

Meet your team

Wales Account management team - May 2025
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!

Wales Primary Care - Meet the team

Permissions

Terms & Conditions

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

Advice

Get pre-referral advice from specialists before creating referrals

Ig Secure

Take IG-secure clinical photos

Do more with Consultant Connect

Reports
Reports Tab
Desktop Calling
Drop In

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)

Access call logs and recordings

Accessing Consultant Connect in your browser allows you to view your Consultant Connect activity (calls, photos, messages). Clinicians usually prefer their practice managers and admin staff to have access to this so they can examine and download PID reports as needed.

To find out more on how to do this please read our Wales Primary Care User guide here

Desktop calling

The Desktop Calling feature on Consultant Connect in your browser enables you to securely place rapid Advice & Guidance (A&G) calls to specialists from your computer. 

Simply log in to Consultant Connect in your browser using your credentials for the app or sign up using your NHS email address. After clicking the ‘Calls’ menu item, and the ‘New Call’ button you’ll be able to select the relevant specialty team to connect with a specialist from your computer.

Drop-in sessions

Join one of our friendly drop-in sessions where you can learn more about the service.

During the session, a member of the Consultant Connect team will:

  • Demo the Consultant Connect system
  • Show you how to access your call recordings and leave retrospective outcomes
  • Answer any questions you may have

 

Find out more
See how to access your activity
Find out more
Register here

Do more with Consultant Connect

Reports

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)

Find out more
Reports Tab

Access call logs and recordings

Accessing Consultant Connect in your browser allows you to view your Consultant Connect activity (calls, photos, messages). Clinicians usually prefer their practice managers and admin staff to have access to this so they can examine and download PID reports as needed.

To find out more on how to do this please read our Wales Primary Care User guide here

See how to access your activity
Desktop Calling

Desktop calling

The Desktop Calling feature on Consultant Connect in your browser enables you to securely place rapid Advice & Guidance (A&G) calls to specialists from your computer. 

Simply log in to Consultant Connect in your browser using your credentials for the app or sign up using your NHS email address. After clicking the ‘Calls’ menu item, and the ‘New Call’ button you’ll be able to select the relevant specialty team to connect with a specialist from your computer.

Find out more
Drop In

Drop-In Sessions

Join one of our friendly drop-in sessions where you can learn more about the service and ask us any questions.

Find out more

Consultant Connect in practice

How Consultant Connect is supporting Hywel Dda University Health Board following the rollout of WGOS 4
How Consultant Connect is supporting Hywel Dda University Health Board following the rollout of WGOS 4
The WGOS 4 guidance allows lower risk patients to be cared for within primary care who would have previously been referred to secondary care. This reduces the number of patients needing a hospital clinic appointment and ensures all patients receive the most appropriate care.
Read More
Bypass Numbers feature avoids hospital conveyance for patient with gastrointestinal condition
Bypass Numbers feature avoids hospital conveyance for patient with gastrointestinal condition
Accessed via the IG-secure Consultant Connect App, Bypass Numbers enables clinicians to utilise pre-programmed contact numbers for local GP surgeries, allowing them to skip the queue on the public switchboard and speak directly to practice staff for same-day emergency communications, speeding up patient care.
Read More
How Consultant Connect tech enabled WAST clinicians to avoid hospital visit for vulnerable cancer patient
How Consultant Connect tech enabled WAST clinicians to avoid hospital visit for vulnerable cancer patient
Our recent winter 2025 feedback survey found that 80% of WAST clinicians would recommend Consultant Connect to a colleague. We spoke with WAST EMT Shaun Martin-Brand to find out why his experience has been so positive.
Read More
The Consultant Connect service that is engendering better and quicker communication between Public Health Wales and Primary Care
The Consultant Connect service that is engendering better and quicker communication between Public Health Wales and Primary Care
In October 2023, the first pan-Wales Telephone Advice & Guidance line provided by Public Health Wales via Consultant Connect was launched, providing access to all NHS clinicians in Wales.
Read More
How accessing Consultant Connect from a computer is supporting clinicians in Powys Teaching Health Board
How accessing Consultant Connect from a computer is supporting clinicians in Powys Teaching Health Board
We spoke with Hannah Meredith to discuss how the Desktop Calling feature allows her to access timely advice in an area with poor mobile signal.
Read More
Medical SDEC advice line expedites patient’s diagnosis for rare disorder in Cardiff and Vale
Medical SDEC advice line expedites patient’s diagnosis for rare disorder in Cardiff and Vale
Following the launch of the transformative SDEC provision at the University Hospital of Wales, we spoke with Dr Jonathon Campbell, GP Partner at North Cardiff Medical Centre.
Read More
The Ophthalmology pathways in Hywel Dda that are securing the best patient care in the right setting
The Ophthalmology pathways in Hywel Dda that are securing the best patient care in the right setting
We spoke with Nicky Jones, Specialist Optometrist in Hywel Dda, to find out how setting up Ophthalmology pathways via Consultant Connect has benefited optometrists and patients, as well as her and her team.
Read More
The benefits of having access to GP Bypass Numbers in Wales
The benefits of having access to GP Bypass Numbers in Wales
One of the most popular uses of the free Consultant Connect App is the pre-programmed Bypass Numbers feature, which allows healthcare professionals in participating areas to skip the queue on switchboard and speak directly to staff at local GP practices.
Read More
Perinatal Mental Health advice in Hywel Dda
Perinatal Mental Health advice in Hywel Dda
Since November 2022, health visiting and midwifery clinicians in Hywel Dda University Health Board have had access to the Perinatal Mental Health line via Consultant Connect. We spoke with the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Service Manager, who provides advice via this line to find out about her experience.
Read More
Service Manager case study: Haematology advice in Swansea Bay
Service Manager case study: Haematology advice in Swansea Bay
Since November 2020, Haematology A&G queries have been routed through Consultant Connect, providing a single point of access for clinicians in Swansea Bay. We spoke with Sam Jenkins, Haematology Service Manager at Singleton Hospital, to find out how the implementation has benefitted the team.
Read More

In the press …

In The Press Consultant Connect

How technology is helping to reduce the gender divide in healthcare

Read More
In The Press Consultant Connect

More than 18,000 patients avoid unnecessary hospital visits in Wales thanks to Consultant Connect tech

Read More
In The Press Consultant Connect

Consultant Connect sees 18,000+ patients avoid unnecessary hospital visits

Read More
In The Press Consultant Connect

More than 18,000 patients avoid unnecessary hospital visits in Wales thanks to Consultant Connect tech

Read More
Consultant Connect
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.