Partnership with Consultant Connect shortlisted for HSJ Partnership Awards 2023
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) and Consultant Connect, UK-founded telemedicine provider, have been shortlisted for HealthTech Partnership of the Year at the HSJ Partnership Awards 2023.
The nomination recognises their combined outstanding dedication to improving healthcare and effective collaboration with the NHS.
Both organisations joined forces to support frail older adults in crisis to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions. Consultant Connect’s technology enables local teams (paramedics, GPs, advanced clinical practitioners) to talk to a SWFT consultant within 25 seconds (average connection time) and discuss the next most appropriate steps for a patient’s care. This ensures frailty patients receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place.
To date, 63%* of calls (via Consultant Connect) from Primary Care to the Care of the Elderly result in a patient being directed to more suitable treatment locations e.g., frailty assessment or a hot clinic (this is when a patient comes into the hospital the next day for tests and assessment, with results received the same day). Similarly, at least 39%* of calls from West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) to the Frailty Unit also result in a hospital attendance being avoided. SWFT listened to one month’s calls and found that if outcomes had been left by every caller, it was over 50% of calls that result in hospital attendance being avoided.
The technology has been used to set up the Frailty Assessment Area (FAA) Patient Initial Follow-Up (PIFU). This means patients who have attended the FAA can communicate directly to the staff there, following their attendance. 80% of those calls result in an advanced community practitioner (ACP) visit for the patient, removing the need for patients to take themselves to the Emergency Department.
The HSJ Partnership Awards recognise innovative projects and collaborations in the UK health system. The prestigious award programme, now in its sixth year, celebrates success stories and provides a platform to shape the future of our new integrated health and care system.
The judging panel comprised a diverse range of highly-regarded figures across the NHS and wider healthcare sector. The partnership was selected based on the collective teams’ diligence, ambition, and the positive impact that the project has had on both practitioners and patients within the healthcare industry.
The full list of nominees for the 2023 HSJ Partnership Awards can be found at https://partnership.hsj.co.uk/finalists-2023/
Rachel Williams, Associate Director of Operations (Emergency Division) at South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are extremely proud to be shortlisted alongside Consultant Connect in the HSJ Partnership Awards, with our partnership and the innovative way we are using the technology being recognised.
“The process of coming into hospital can be exhausting for frail older people. If admitted their muscles will often rapidly waste, causing them to become more dependent and significantly increasing their need for rehabilitation and long-term care. By using Consultant Connect we can prevent this strain and muscle wastage by carrying out assessments and caring for patients in their own environment where clinically appropriate.
“Hospital is not always the right place to treat frailty patients, with research suggesting that caring for a select group of vulnerable, older people at home can improve patient outcomes. The partnership with Consultant Connect enables us to avoid unnecessary admissions and ensure the right care is being given in the right place.”
Jonathan Patrick, CEO and Founder at Consultant Connect, said: “It’s a real honour to have been shortlisted for this award with our wonderful NHS colleagues at South Warwickshire University Foundation Trust. The project has genuinely served to improve the lives of healthcare practitioners and patients alike. Cutting down unnecessary hospital admissions in the frail elderly means better outcomes for them and reduced pressure on already stretched services in hospitals. It enables the hospital to focus on patients who need to be there.”
“We are committed to delivering improved outcomes for patients, and to be chosen among the other incredible nominees is a wonderful achievement. This nomination has been a tremendous boost to Consultant Connect and South Warwickshire University Foundation Trust, we hope the recognition will lead to further adoption of this approach to elderly care in the NHS.”
The selected winners will be announced during a private ceremony at Evolution London, on 23 March 2023.
* All percentages based on outcomes left
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