Consultant Connect: supporting resident doctors across the NHS

Published: 5th September 2024
Supporting resident doctors on clinical journeys, Consultant Connect's Enhanced Advice & Guidance service is used by over half of the NHS in England, Scotland, and Wales, connecting clinicians with specialists for rapid discussions.
supporting NHS junior doctors through rotation

A handful of times a year, resident doctor (previously junior doctor) rotations occur across the NHS as medics move into new posts to train in various specialties. Supporting clinical journeys, Consultant Connect’s Enhanced Advice & Guidance service is used by over half of the NHS in England, Scotland, and Wales, connecting clinicians with specialists for rapid discussions. Our services are utilised by more than 5,000 GP practices and over 130 hospitals, covering 42 million patients, and 80% of users said they would recommend Consultant Connect to a colleague*.

This changeover period is crucial for clarity on career paths and providing opportunities to transition to independent practice. For resident doctors, we realise that practising and expanding your skill sets to enhance expertise whilst improving patient care is vital, and here’s how Enhanced Advice & Guidance** can help:

 

For resident doctors in primary care

  • With pre-programmed contact numbers for specialties, Telephone Advice & Guidance allows you to connect with NHS specialists at the touch of a button (calls are answered within 30 seconds on average).
  • Messaging Advice & Guidance enables you to send secure messages and files/photos to specialists and alerts you when a response is received.
  • With the IG-secure clinical photography feature, PhotoSAF, you can photograph and monitor a patient’s condition and safely save it to their records.
  • If you work across more than one organisation, you can access multiple workplaces across participating NHS areas and toggle between them within the Consultant Connect App and in your browser.
  • In England, all app activity is automatically added to the patient’s record (provided a valid NHS number is input, and an outcome is left where applicable).
  • Consultant Connect’s CPD accreditation means that when you obtain Enhanced Advice & Guidance, you can also automatically earn CPD credits when calls or messages meet the criteria.

‘Fantastic service. It has helped me upskill myself, increase my confidence in managing difficult cases and avoid secondary care referrals.’

Clinician in primary care.

 

For resident doctors in secondary care

  • Utilise cross-hospital telephone and messaging pathways to rapidly connect with specialist colleagues.
  • Call GP practice Bypass Numbers to skip the queue on switchboard and speak directly with staff at local surgeries.
  • Provide pre-referral Advice & Guidance to primary care colleagues to ensure patients are navigated to the right place for their care the first time.
  • Take IG-secure clinical photos with PhotoSAF to monitor patient conditions.
  • If you work across more than one site, you can access multiple organisations across participating NHS areas and toggle between them within the Consultant Connect App or in your browser.

‘It’s great to communicate with doctors and other MDTs, and helps with the patient’s care.’

Clinician in secondary care.

 

* Taken from Consultant Connect summer 2024 feedback survey.

** Please note that service features differ depending on locality.

 

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