Impact | Ambulance Trusts using Consultant Connect

Improving communications for Ambulance Services

Ambulance project spotlights
Urgent care pathways: examples in practice
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53% of calls from ambulance staff avoid unnecessary patient conveyances

Improving communications for Ambulance Services

Hover on the Ambulance icons on the below map for more information:

Ambulance trusts across the UK use* Consultant Connect to rapidly speak to clinicians for advice, bypassing switchboard or bleep waits. This allows ambulance staff to discuss whether A&E really is the most appropriate place to take patients. All calls and outcomes are recorded, thereby improving safety and governance.

Our current data shows that 53% of calls, with reported outcomes, from ambulance staff avoid unnecessary patient conveyances.

The map spotlights the impact of Ambulance Trusts using Consultant Connect in different ways to meet their bespoke local needs.

*Services available differ by locality including ICB/Health Board area or Hospital/Trust. A&E avoidance is for calls where an outcome was reported, data correct from project launch to September 2024.

Securely connecting healthcare professionals and patients across the NHS via:

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Why Consultant Connect?:

‘Since the redesign, our call volumes have more than tripled. Along with the emergency medicine line, we’ve expanded the Consultant Connect offering to support more specialties, all with the idea of navigating a system to allow for the best patient care.’

‘We have the lowest ambulance conveyance rate in Scotland, and, compared to the national average, this means we have 15 fewer patient attendances a day, freeing up our clinical capacity, saving the ambulances time in conveyance and handovers, and ultimately, giving the patients a better experience.’ Find out more

Jamie Morrison

A&E Consultant and Clinical Lead for the Flow Navigation Centre in NHS Tayside.

‘The Consultant Connect system is brilliant, we wouldn’t be without it. Managing frailty is vitally important for any acute hospital and enabling paramedics to speak with consultants quickly has changed everything.’ Find out more

Dr Jyothi Nippani

Associate Medical Director, South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust

‘The Consultant Connect App is really easy to use, and it’s great because all the numbers are in one place. It’s also safe from an IG aspect, as it is encrypted, calls are recorded, and they can be easily accessed should there be a need. If the patient is seriously ill, then it’s the pre-alert lines that I would use, and it’s just a quick couple of taps on the app to be put through to the receiving ED, who knows straight away what to expect when the patient arrives.’ Find out more

Marcus Viggers

Paramedic for Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust

‘Fantastic service. We are so lucky in Tayside to have this. Very helpful for paramedics on the road.’

– Paramedic in Scotland

It’s a central location for all essential phone numbers. Also if you are at an incident that is out of your normal area you can change the health board to again access all essential numbers needed.

– Ambulance clinician in Wales

‘I feel that inter-professional collaboration gained through Consultant Connect has improved my knowledge and confidence as a healthcare professional. By working together with our emergency department colleagues, we are able to provide higher quality, person-centred patient care. I feel that we are very lucky to have this valuable resource in Tayside.’

– Ambulance clinician in Scotland

‘GP Bypass Numbers are beneficial and save time. I can easily access specialist services via the app. This is really useful for keeping up to date without relying on multiple self-
maintained contact numbers.’

– Ambulance clinician in Wales

‘It’s an excellent service for me to have P2P conversations. One direct number rather than paging or going through switchboard.’

– Ambulance clinician in Scotland

Urgent Care Pathways: Examples in Practice

The fact that all pathways set up via Consultant Connect benefit from high connection rates, with 80% of calls being answered the first time and within 30 seconds, IG-secure recorded activity and a dedicated Account Management team are just some of the reasons why we are the UK’s most widely used Enhanced Advice & Guidance system.

Our urgent care pathways in practice slides showcases 7 projects that are paving the way to improve patient care and clinician experiences in urgent care, including service benefits, call statistics and outcomes. Scroll through the images to find out more, or fill in the short form below to receive a PDF copy.