Connecting any health professional to mental health specialist advice, via telephone, in seconds

IN THE PRESS

Mental health trust is first to use streamlining system to better treat patient’s physical illnesses

When a health professional sees a patient that appears to have complex mental health needs, the natural inclination is often to refer to a NHS specialist. Yet in many instances, an immediate verbal conversation with a NHS specialist can render a referral unnecessary – improving patient care and providing system efficiencies.

Consultant Connect’s technology platform enables that near-instant sharing of such advice and guidance over the phone. 

Benchmarking Data Report

Read our new report which includes this data on Mental Health Advice & Guidance and much more:

 

5 minutes with a CMHT old age consultant and Clinical Director

“We’ve had a number of patients who we have been able to give advice about, who otherwise would have needed a referral to our service. Consultant Connect has resulted in these patients getting the same treatment, but with advice on the day rather than having to wait, whilst freeing up hours of clinicians time.”

Dr Funnell talks to us about her personal experience of answering Advice & Guidance calls through the Consultant Connect service… Read the full case study.

5 minutes with… a CMHT old age consultant and Clinical Director - Consultant Connect
- Consultant Connect
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust – improving the physical health of patients with serious mental illnesses

Ray McGrath, lead nurse for King’s Health Partners Integrating our Mental and Physical HealthcareSystems (IMPHS), shares his reflections on improving communications between clinicians across King’s Health Partners to provide physical health advice for patients with severe mental illnesses.

“The project picked up quite a pace, not least because the service provides timely access to advice and guidance for people with mental illness who already experienced increased physical health risks, but also because as a result of the pandemic, there was an even greater challenge in avoiding transferring patients to acute hospitals unnecessarily due to risks associated with COVID-19 transmissions.” Read the full blog post here.

You can watch Ray talk about the project during our webinar Consultant Connect in Mental Health Webinar, click here. 

Why is it so helpful for Commissioners and Health Professionals?
Why is it so helpful for patients? Patient case studies revealed

%

%

of calls about medication result in no need for referral to secondary care

of calls on mental health general referral advice line result in patients avoiding a referral

92% of calls about medication result in no need for referral to secondary care

61% of calls on mental health general referral advice line result in patients avoiding a referral

Route calls the way you want 

The service is highly flexible and easily tailored to complement the mental health services being provided in your local area. And, because calls are generally routed to mobile phones, there is no need for NHS specialists to be desk-based and no need to change job plans.

If your local services are struggling with resources, Consultant Connect offers a back-up service where calls are answered by out-of-area NHS specialists. This works particularly well for areas such as Medication Advice, that do not necessarily need to be locally provided. Find out about our National Network.

Why it works

  • Specialists do not need to be job planned and desk based
  • Healthcare professionals will use it because it’s fast and reliable
  • No need for new hardware or software. No need to integrate with legacy systems
  • Implementation is rapid and low cost
  • All call data is recorded and easily accessed for training/review

Most popular call routing configurations

We’ll work with you to design a service that meets your specific local needs – it’s that flexible! The three options below show the most requested configurations:

Clinician to Local Specialist

Mental Health Advice & Guidance - Consultant Connect

Clinician to National Network Specialist

Use our out-of-area NHS specialists to support your service

Mental Health Advice & Guidance - Consultant Connect

Secondary Care to Secondary Care

Mental Health Advice & Guidance - Consultant Connect

Mental Health Phone Advice & Guidance – what our customers think:

“Patients get advice on the day they need it rather than have to sit on a waiting list and come to an appointment for the same advice.”

Dr Nicky Funnell, CMHT old age consultant and Clinical Director, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

“Rapid communication between mental health and secondary physical health clinicians has so far demonstrably improved physical health outcomes of patients with serious mental illnesses.”

Ray McGrath, Lead Nurse, King’s Health Partners Integrating our Mental and Physical HealthcareSystems (IMPHS)

“Feedback received from clinicians has been very positive as they receive quick access to practical advice to treat their patients effectively.”

Petrina Douglas-Hall, Medicines Information Manager, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

“Telephone Advice & Guidance gives GPs rapid access to experts in the use of psychotropic medicines. This expertise has been established through research and clinical experience. In addition, clear, evidence-based information is provided immediately for most enquiries and primary care clinicians have the ability to speak to someone directly rather than to email or write for advice. When a patient’s referral to secondary care has been rejected, we can also give expert advice on the patient’s management.”

Dr Anne Connolly, Principal Pharmacist for Medicines Information, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

“Consultant Connect is such a win-win in terms of a GP can now ring Consultant Connect while the patient’s in the consulting room, get that advice and guidance straightaway and start that treatment regime straightaway.”

Irene Grayson, Associate Director Primary Care Commissioning, NHS Greenwich CCG

“The psychiatrists are very keen to broaden the dialogue with GPs, for patients I definitely think it’s good that they realise that we are working together, that we’re working together to be able to provide the right care, rather than giving siloed care.”

Dr Vivienne Chai, GP and Governing Body member, NHS Greenwich CCG

“Well we had a GP who rang us, who was concerned about the fact that somebody was using the A&E as a kind of frontline service, and not going to their GP, and they had anxiety, and so when they became overwhelmed they would go to A&E…we were able to help that person reduce or stop their visits to A&E, and the GP [became] the main source of management for that person.”

Elaine Newman, Community Manager, Greenwich Older Adults Mental Health Services

“The benefits to the patient of the service is that they get a much quicker response or answer to their mental health needs.”

Rachel Matheson, Service Manager, Mental Health (Adult and Older Adult)

“I have been consulted recently by telephone really about regarding reviewing medication of a patient who has been prescribed antipsychotic medications, with side effects with many of them, it was a three way conversation via the telephone and via the speaker, and we have reviewed the previously prescribed medications, the side effects, risks and benefits, and also I was able to explain to the GP and to the patients directly via the phone the risks and benefits of the new medications.”

Dr Mohammed Al-Rawi, Consultant Psychiatrist East Greenwich ADAPT

 

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