Doctors connect to speed up care

26th April 2016

An innovative system that connects busy hospital consultants and GPs is speeding up patient treatment and reducing hospital appointments in Stockport.

GPs can call ‘Consultant Connect’ during patient appointments to get instant treatment advice from a specialist at Stepping Hill Hospital and check whether a referral is necessary.

While reaching a busy hospital consultant by phone has traditionally been challenging for GPs, the new single number connects to a ‘rota’ of consultants and if the first is unavailable, the system loops to the mobile phone of the next specialist.

The system has prevented hospital referrals in 70 per cent of recorded cases since launching for haematology and endocrinology enquiries in February. It was last week extended to paediatrics and there are plans to add further specialties in coming months. Stockport is the first area in Greater Manchester to introduce the system.

One of the patients to benefit is Jean Hamilton, 77, from Romiley. Mrs Hamilton had been suffering for low blood pressure which had led to two visits to A&E, including following an incident where she collapsed and hit her head.

Mrs Hamilton’s GP, Dr Simon Woodworth, of Chadsfield Medical Centre, said:

“Usually I would have referred the patient to Stepping Hill, which would have led to a letter and an appointment 3-4 weeks later. Instead, I called Consultant Connect and within 25 seconds I was through to consultant endocrinologist, Richard Bell.”

The doctors agreed for Dr Woodworth to adjust her medication and carry out blood tests, with a plan to call Mr Bell again if needed after getting the test results. Dr Woodworth said: “The greatest value was in the speed – the patient got tailored advice, very quickly, to start addressing her symptoms straightaway.

“If I had referred her, she would have needed to attend Stepping Hill, with the inconvenience of travelling to a further appointment and finding parking. Following this, the consultant may have written back suggesting the same measures. Instead, with Consultant Connect, it all happened during one appointment in primary care.”

Mrs Hamilton said: “I thought the system was excellent, a superb way for the GP to hear from a consultant without having to refer me to the hospital, with the wait that entails. My health had been getting worse for a while and at one point, I passed out
and hit my head and had to be taken to A&E.”

“My blood pressure was very low, I didn’t have any energy and felt dreadful. After the change to my medication, I feel so much better and everyone says I look a different person.”

Dr Richard Bell, the endocrinology consultant, said: “Consultant Connect makes it very easy to communicate with GPs and improve patient care while cutting out pointless backwards and forwards letters and inappropriate patient appointments.