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 42 ICB/ HB areas covering over 40 million patients.
- 68% 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?
Find out how our Mental Health Phone Advice & Guidance service can help support the right mental health referrals at the right time.
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
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.
How NCN consultants are helping to transform patient care in Medway and Swale
Consultant Connect’s Enhanced Advice & Guidance service enables Medway and Swale ICP clinicians to access rapid and secure specialist input via telephone and photo messaging from more than 30 specialties. Due to locally unavailable services, many of the specialties provided are delivered by out-of-area NHS consultants on the National Consultant Network (NCN).
The Paediatrics 2WW Pathway that is speeding up cancer diagnoses and avoiding unnecessary hospital visits
Consultant Connect's groundbreaking technology connects clinicians with UHCW specialists for rapid communication, allowing children to receive diagnoses and treatment plans quicker.
The Acute Paediatrics line that has tripled Consultant Connect usage in NHS Lanarkshire
The introduction of the Acute Paediatrics line led to the overall usage of Consultant Connect in Lanarkshire tripling, therefore ensuring patients are treated in the right place for their care the first time. We spoke with Dr David Beattie, the Acute Paediatrics Consultant who helped set up the line, to find out what the catalyst for change was:
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