Menopause waiting list reduced by remote consultant pilot scheme

  • One in three women’s cases handled by GP after online assessment
  • Trial allows local specialists to focus on treating more urgent cases
  • Consultant Connect key to reducing England’s 450k gynaecolology backlog 

Women seeking medical help as they undergo the menopause received faster and better care in trials using remote consultants.

Two pilot schemes in Essex used specialists from telemedicine provider Consultant Connect’s National Consultant Network to validate and prioritise gynaecology and menopause referral waiting lists.

The remote consultants ensured urgent cases at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust and Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust were prioritised and dealt with quicker. GP’s were given advice on how to deal with the less serious cases that were returned to them.

In Mid and South Essex, a small trial found one in three menopause cases were sent back to GPs with advice and guidance – a move that reduced pressure on local gynaecologists and allowed them to provide care for those most in need. One in every 25 menopause cases was upgraded to a two-week wait timeline.

In Basildon and Thurrock, the project focused on general gynaecology rather than specifically the menopause. Remote consultants successfully identified one in twenty cases that should have been urgent or two-week wait referrals and were subsequently fast-tracked. Nearly one in ten of all cases triaged were referred back to the GP with advice and guidance. The trials were held in October.

Gynaecology waiting lists shot up by 60 per cent during the pandemic. In January this year, England’s gynaecology waiting list – including women with menopausal symptoms – stood at over 450,000.

Jonathan Patrick, CEO of Consultant Connect, said: “We’re delighted that our network of specialists is helping to provide part of the solution to tackling the backlog. Further work is required to build a comprehensive set of data – but initial outcomes are very positive.

“In one trust, one in twenty patients were moved to a two-week wait pathway following the assessment of one of our online specialists. Without our service, someone who needed urgent care might not have been seen within the necessary timeframe.

“We’re proud that our team at Consultant Connect is helping to tackle the crisis in women’s care and join the frontlines in helping to deliver the care patients deserve.”