When Consultant Connect first started providing rapid Telephone Advice & Guidance (A&G) to the NHS it was just GPs that used the service to speak to specialists. We are now providing access to a wider range of medics and community healthcare providers such as; Paramedics, Nurses, Pharmacists, Nurse Prescribers, Mental Health Clinicians, and Social Workers. Why? Telephone Advice & Guidance from Consultant Connect solves the difficulty of speaking to the right person when timely advice is really needed – especially if a patient’s needs are complex.
Clinicians use the Consultant Connect App or a unique Dial-in Number to 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).
- Used in over half the NHS across England, Scotland and Wales, covering over 42 million patients.
- 70% of calls avoid hospital visits in elective care, and 52% of calls avoid hospital visits in urgent care.
- Easy to set-up and use with benefits from day one – no hardware or training required.
- Reduces referrals and admissions for whole-system efficiencies – patients receive the right care, first time.
- Enjoy world-class support – our team handles set-up, communication and on-going engagement with clinicians, specialists and other stakeholders.
Why do clinicians and patients like it?
Why do commissioners like it?
How it works
Primary care clinicians can also earn CPD credits when they use the Consultant Connect App for Advice & Guidance. Click to find out more.
Everything you need to know – in a few minutes…
Clinicians explain why immediate phone advice works for them
Phone A&G in action – Urgent Care
Consultant Connect in NHSE handbooks
Did you know Consultant Connect has been included in the NHS England’s Elective Care Transformation Team handbooks for gastro, dermatology and diabetes handbooks? Proof that Advice & Guidance works!
Phone Advice & Guidance Case Studies
Messaging advice provided by NHS consultant avoids unnecessary hospital visit for patient with secondary cancer
Healthcare professionals in NCL ICB have access to a range of elective care specialties for Enhanced Advice & Guidance (A&G) provided by out-of-area NHS consultants on the National Consultant Network (NCN), including messaging services for dermatology lesions and dermatology advice.
Urgent Prof-to-Prof Radiology Advice helps speed up prostate cancer diagnosis
Implemented to help reduce unnecessary Emergency Department attendances, Prof-to-Prof Advice also helps to ensure timely access to advice for local healthcare professionals, enabling patients to receive the right care in the right place the first time.
The National Consultant Network in practice: supporting clinicians from Birmingham to Staffordshire
The National Consultant Network comprises out-of-area NHS consultants who support clinicians by providing Advice & Guidance via telephone and/or messaging, helping patients receive the right care in the right place the first time.
Area Case Study | NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICS
NHS Bedfordshire, Luton, and Milton Keynes ICS was created in early 2020 when the previous individual NHS areas merged into one. Since this development, their project in partnership with Consultant Connect has grown year on year. In this article, we look at the key milestones and usage stats since the project's launch.
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