The ‘Reforming Elective Care for Patients’ plan released earlier this year puts more focus on specialist Advice & Guidance (A&G). From 1 April 2025, GPs will be paid to request A&G, and volumes are expected to almost double this year to 4 million pre-referral A&G requests, up from 2.4 million in 2023/24.
It is undoubtedly proven that A&G avoids unnecessary hospital visits. However, for A&G to be truly effective, specialists need to manage the workload and reply promptly and reliably.
5 success factors for effective A&G delivery
1. Deliver on a channel that suits your team
Systems like Consultant Connect give a choice of 3 channels: Some teams prefer answering short (3.5-4 minutes) telephone calls, others reply on instant messaging (especially if they want to review photos and test results as part of the query) and some teams prefer e-RS and use the Consultant Connect e-RS interface.
2. Make delivery as admin-free as possible
Consultants like systems that require few clicks and are easy on the eye. Consultant Connect’s e-RS interface allows all actions on one screen and responses in half the time. Other channels, like Consultant Connect’s messaging channel, are app-based, and A&G can be answered from anywhere at any time. The telephone service is paperless but yet fully recorded and auditable.
3. Plan workforce
Ensuring A&G is job planned and translated into A&G rotas ensures answer rates are reliable. A system like Consultant Connect hunts down the first available clinician from the rota to answer the query on a first-come, first-served basis.
4. Rely on out-of-area capacity if your teams struggle at times
While advice from a local clinician is always best, your team might have days or periods when it cannot handle demand. Consultant Connect’s out-of-area NHS specialists can be switched on/switched off to back up your rotas as needed.
5. Real time data informs planning
Data, including A&G volumes and outcomes, feed into job planning and can identify trends such as high or low usage from specific localities or practices.
Contact us:
Whether you already use Consultant Connect or not, we’re here to help. If you have any questions or would like to find out more, please email hello@consultantconnect.org.uk or call us on 01865 261 467.
Related materials:
- How to make A&G work for your practice
- Can your ICB manage the new Advice & Guidance rules?
- “Reforming Elective Care” – your questions answered
- How will “Reforming Elective Care” affect you?
- Customer Area: Primary Care
- Clinical resource for A&G
- Clinical capacity for referrals
- Rich reporting already supports areas to unlock the ERF
