Wessex Health Innovation Forum: Isle of Wight Wednesday 4th July 2018

1. “It’s good to talk”
How improving communications
between GPs and consultants
improves healthcare
Jonathan Patrick
July 2018
One St Aldates, Oxford OX1 1DE T: 01865 261467 E: info@consultantconnect.org.uk

2. GP calls local number or
uses the CC app
GP chooses specialty
GP put through to first
consultant to answer
(average c. 40s wait)
Outcome of the call is ranked by
GP / consultant
Conversation is recorded
(average duration c. 3min 40s)
Consultant Connect works by “tele-hunting” an available specialty consultant and saving a
recording of the Advice and Guidance offered
What is Consultant Connect?

3. Our first project was a doozy!
• Colchester Hospital University NHS FT
• Placed into special measures in 2013
• We were approached in May 2015 by Northeast Essex CCG
• “We need to try anything and everything”
• Project launched June 29th 2015
• First call shortly after 9am to Diabetes and Endocrinology
• “Referral Avoided”
• Project has now expanded to include 11 elective specialties, 2 urgent specialties
• CHUFT removed from special measures in November 2017

4. • 75% of calls to elective
specialties have avoided a
patient visit to hospital
• 31% of calls to urgent
specialties have avoided a
patient visit to hospital
• Financial savings of £525k-
£675k per annum
Launched Jun 2015
QIPP Case Study by NHS England

5. Does Consultant Connect improve the way GPs work with hospital
consultants?
Is Consultant Connect good for healthcare in Colchester and NE Essex?
Do you like Consultant Connect?
100% of GP and
consultant
respondents said
“yes”
• 88% of respondents have used
Consultant Connect
• 100% of users said Consultant Connect
has had “a positive impact” on their work
• 100% of users felt that using Consultant
Connect had “enhanced their
knowledge”
• 60% of users had called during a patient
consultation and felt that the patient had
appreciated the input of a consultant
GPs 25 responses / c. 200
• 92% of respondents have answered a
call
• 100% of respondents who had
answered said they believed that their
input had “improved the quality of care
provided to the patient”
• “Most calls avoid referral and give the
patient the correct management now,
rather than waiting 8 weeks or more for
an appointment”
Consultants 12 responses / 21
Clinicians were positive after 3 months

6. Since Colchester started we have spread our wings
Coverage
Performance
Whole System
Efficiency
16,000,000 53 25
Patients covered CCG areas Specialties covered
70%-80% 0:43 3:40
Call pickup rate Av connection time Av call duration
(m:s)(m:s)
>60%
Calls that avoid an unnecessary patient visit to hospital / A&E
(average nationally as ranked by GPs)

7. Source: Luton CCG
“76% of patients avoid A&E and
7.5% of patients are avoiding
hospital altogether”
Luton & Dunstable Hospital
currently taking over 500 calls
per month
Launched Dec 2015
Luton & Dunstable use it to avoid A&E attendances

8. “Since the introduction of the
system a clear reduction in GP
referrals to the local ED has
occurred”
Admission avoidance is 53%.
The remaining 47% of patients
were admitted more smoothly.
Launched Oct 2016
Sunderland (NHS Elect Report)

9. Phone
(direct to mobile/dd)
Photo Messaging
(IG-compliant)
Writing
(Historical options)
Consultant Connect
PhotoSAF, Messaging
ERS/Email/Letter
Our new product gives clinicians an additional option