How Enhanced Advice & Guidance can help provide the best care this Men’s Health Week

A GP in Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB used Telephone Advice & Guidance after seeing an elderly patient who had stents fitted abroad and their medication had run out:

‘The patient had had two previous myocardial infarctions and reported 4-5 stents being present, but all medical notes provided were not in English. Due to the procedures being carried out abroad and the ongoing medication advice given to the patient not matching the NHS equivalents, I was uncertain of the next steps. I used Consultant Connect to speak with a cardiologist, and together, we worked out what medication the patient needed to stay safe in Primary Care whilst awaiting their outpatient appointment. Using the service provided me with peace of mind and confidence, as the decision I make has specialist input and I can quickly close the case once the advice has been received.’

– Dr Rikin Patel.

Dr Varadarajan Baskar is a Diabetes and Endocrinology Consultant at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust who provides Advice & Guidance via Consultant Connect, and recalls how the service prevented unnecessary hospital interventions for a patient with type 2 diabetes:

‘I recently spoke with a local GP who was seeking advice about a patient with type 2 diabetes. They wanted rapid advice because the patient’s control had fluctuated rather considerably. The GP explained the patient’s history and asked whether they ought to consider scans for the patient to exclude malignancy. I was able to reassure both the GP and the patient that the fluctuations were likely caused by patient-initiated changes to lifestyle, which the GP subsequently confirmed after reviewing practice nurse notes, and so we didn’t need to consider any scans.’

– Dr Varadarajan Baskar.

A GP in Dorset utilised Telephone Advice & Guidance via Consultant Connect after a patient experiencing rapidly worsening shortness of breath presented in the clinic:

‘When the patient came to see me, I initially diagnosed pulmonary fibrosis. The patient didn’t require admission, but could not have waited months to be seen in a respiratory clinic. I used Consultant Connect to rapidly speak to a local respiratory specialist at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust. By speaking to a specialist, the patient avoided an acute admission, as the specialist arranged an outpatient appointment within a few weeks, with necessary investigations carried out beforehand. The patient was very happy they were being seen by a specialist urgently. The service avoids unnecessary referrals and patients coming to harm by waiting a long time for appointments. It provides safer patient care and bridges the gap between Primary and Secondary Care.’

– Dr Rachel Smith.