East Cheshire NHS Trust launches virtual patient appointments

East Cheshire NHS Trust is pleased to announce it can now offer virtual consultations to patients who have been identified by their doctor or nurse as suitable for this type of appointment in selected departments.

In partnership with the NHS Attend Anywhere video platform, which was initially rolled out nationwide by NHS England in response to the pandemic, this enables clinicians to conduct appointments via video link, without the need for the patient to come to hospital or even leave their home.

Patient and staff feedback has been extremely positive following a successful pilot phase over the past few months.

Mr Christopher J Smart, Clinical Lead for Colorectal Cancer, said: “Virtual consultations have helped us advance patient-centred care during  COVID-19 which we can now continue.

“We recognise that the traditional face-to-face appointment is not always convenient and that a video consultation  may suit some patients better.

“We know many people still feel nervous about visiting hospital, so the platform provides an alternative solution for patients who may otherwise leave symptoms to deteriorate.” 

The platform allows visual examinations to take place and even supports the requirement to share documents on screen, for example x-rays. All patients have a choice to opt in or out of a virtual consultation.

A patient said: “I was delighted with my first experience using the video-consultation platform and found it to be equally as beneficial as attending the hospital in person. 

I was able to have a face to face discussion with my clinician which feels far more personal than a telephone call. Ahead of my consultation, I received a helpful information leaflet with very clear and easy to follow instructions on how to use the platform. I would be more than happy to have my consultations virtually again in the future.”

Dr John Hunter, Medical Director at East Cheshire NHS Trust said, “We’re pleased to be able to offer video consultations to some of our patients. Experience tells us that video consultations are easy to use and are often more convenient.”

Appointments are scheduled as normal and patients will receive a letter confirming the date and time, which will include a web link to the virtual appointment.

• Video consultations are available for; general surgery, paediatrics, gastroenterology and the Macclesfield After Care (a service to support patients who have been on the Intensive Care Unit), with more rolling out soon.
• Suitability for video-consultation will be determined following a clinical review by the clinician in charge of the patient’s care.  Specialties will vary in the use of video-consultations due to the need to undertake examinations in the outpatient setting
• Attend Anywhere is a secure web-based platform which can be used on any PC, Mac, or iOS/ Android device (such as smartphones/iPads or tablets).
• To join an online appointment, patients need to ensure they have a web camera, speakers and microphone, which are usually built into laptops and mobile devices.
• All appropriate data protection guidance in accordance with GDPR is followed.

• For further information about East Cheshire NHS Trust please visit: http://www.eastcheshire.nhs.uk/ or contact the trust press office on 01625 663935. For urgent, out-of-hours enquiries, please call 01625 421000.
• East Cheshire NHS Trust is the main provider of acute and community health services for the people of East Cheshire. The trust is based at Macclesfield District General Hospital.
• Follow East Cheshire NHS Trust on Twitter for all the latest news - @EastCheshireNHS