Consultant Connect is a service that connects NHS Tayside consultants with professionals to provide advice and avoid unnecessary admissions. It allows secure recording and review of calls. Since launching in October 2018, it has facilitated over 12,000 calls between emergency medicine consultants, GPs, and the Scottish Ambulance Service, with 30% of ambulance calls avoiding ED attendance. Feedback from GPs has been positive, praising the quick access to specialists and improved patient care. There is potential to expand the service to additional specialties.

1. CONSULTANT CONNECT
CONNECTING PROFESSIONALS – AVOIDING ADMISSIONS
NATIONAL LEARNING EVENT – 3RD OCTOBER, 2019
Dr Ron Cook
Clinical Care Group Director – Unscheduled Medicin
NHS Tayside

2. • Pre-existing NHS Tayside Prof-to-Prof lines
• Emergency Medicine
• OOH junior doctor support PRI
• Scottish Ambulance Service / Regional MIUs
• NHS24
• Regional GPs
• Acute Medical Receiving Unit
• GP referral / Consultant advice
• Previous review indicated 20% reduction in admissions
BACKGROUND

3. ISSUES
• Clinical Governance
• Recording of calls / documenting advice given
• Call volumes / resource planning
• Connectivity
• mobile phone reception

4. CONSULTANT CONNECT
• Log and record calls
• Response rates/call times
• Records source of calls in details (GP practice/SAS/internal etc)
• Ability to immediately review and listen to calls through secure
web based portal
• Support in call volume analysis/technical support/outcome
audit

5. NHS TAYSIDE USAGE
• Since launch 1 Oct ’18 – 22 Jul,19
• Emergency Medicine
• 8504 calls (average 29 calls/day)
• Acute Medicine
• 3479 calls (average 12 calls/day)

6. OUTCOME AUDIT HEADLINES
• Emergency Medicine
• SAS calls – 30% calls enabled treatment out of hospital preventing ED
attendance
• PRI OOH junior doctor calls – 23% admission rate of patient identified as
potential discharges
• Acute Medicine (GP referral/advice calls)
• 75% admission rate
• 9% navigated to clinic
• 16% Treated out of hospital

7. GP FEEDBACK
• Need for immediate phone advice – 100% Yes
• 85% uptake – “Have you used”
• Useful – 100% Yes
• Enabled out of hospital treatment – 75% yes
• Improves patient care – 95% yes
• Encourages integration across local services – 95% Yes
• Should the service expand to other specialities – 97% Yes

8. GP FEEDBACK
• It has enabled day case investigations rather than admission
• Advice on potential management, organising prompt outpatient investigations
• Much quicker for GPs to get through to consultants, avoids delays
• Used service once, just recently, and found it very quick and efficient
• Consultant Connect has improved the accessibility to specialists for admission/advice and I
would like to see it continued

9. FUTURE POTENTIAL
• Further Usage analysis
• High freq sources – additional support/communication/education
• Additional Specialitites
• Expand Stroke – Thrombolysis service
• Paediatrics
• MFE
• Pre Hospital Tayside Trauma Team
• Training
• Senior Decision making transition work