Non face-to-face (virtual) clinics: examples and resources
In addition to our guide to setting up a non face-to-face clinic, there are a number of guides targeted at setting up this model of care in specific clinical areas and practices, which provide invaluable, speciality-driven insights.
We’re bringing together these clinical guides and useful resources, from international sources, together in one place as an impartial, easy-reference resource library to use alongside our guide.
This is a developing resource. If you know of additional resources which would benefit clinicians when engaging in non-face to face consultations, please forward to us at contact@uclpartners.com so that we can include them for the benefit of all.
Communication templates
The following templates suggest approaches for communicating with patients before and during non face-to-face appointments.
Communications for patients
- Example script for video/ telephone appointments (Source: Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust)
- Example email invite for telephone appointments (Source: Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust)
- Example email invite for video appointments (Source: Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust)
- Patient appointment information leaflet
Communications: healthcare professional to healthcare professional
- Pando: clinical messaging platform that is approved by NHS Digital and listed in the NHS Apps Library
- Careflow Connect: facilitates team-based care coordination through a secure, integrated, networking platform.
- Nervecentre: previously part of the NHS Innovation Accelerator Programme, this mobile clinical photography solution helps to recognise patient deterioration, escalate care and improve patient flow.
Technology
- Attend anywhere: Video consultation software for healthcare.
- Accurx: Offering free video call or messaging from healthcare professionals to patients.
- Skype: although an older technology, it is still being used for some consultations due to ease of access. The Implementing Skype Consultations in General Practice report provides a summary of a pilot scheme by Central London CCG.
Learning resources
- Webinar: Digital first: moving to online triage and consultations (NHS England). For forthcoming webinars on remote consultations please visit the resource library on Future NHS.
- Covid-19: a remote assessment in primary care (BMJ)
- Digital – COVID-19 guidance for clinicians (Royal College of Psychiatrists)
- Video consultations – quick guide for clinicians (Barts Health)
- Free training package for remote consultations
Library of guides and toolkits by clinical area
NHS resources
- NHS Clinical guide for the management of remote consultations and remote working in secondary care during the coronavirus pandemic; 27 March 2020 Version 1 – attached
- NHSx COVID-19 information governance advice
- NHS Advice on how to establish a remote ‘total triage’ model in general practice using online consultations; April 2020 Version 2
- NHS Using online consultations in primary care: implementation toolkit Includes:
- Using online consultations in primary care: implementation toolkit
- Summary implementation toolkit for practices
- Online consultations summary checklist
- Online consultations evaluation form
- Online consultations research: summary of findings
- NHSDigital & Accenture presentation Developing National Standards for Virtual Consultations
Mental Health
- RCPsych – Digital – COVID-19 guidance for clinicians; Page last updated: 20 March 2020
- British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy Telephone and e-counselling competences and curricula
- Mental Health Online – A practical guide to video mental health consultation
Medical
- University of Oxford Video Consultations: A guide for practice
- YouTube video Moving to online traige and consultations with Dr Minal Bakhai with advice and help for staff to digitally triage all patients using their online consultation system
- RCP Scaling up video consultation capabilities in the NHS
- RCP – Effective Remote Consultations
- GMC remote consultations page
- BMA COVID-19: video consultations and homeworking. This guidance supports doctors in any healthcare setting to conduct remote consultations during the pandemic.
Primary Care Specific
- RCGP Online consultations in general practice: the questions to ask . The focus of this paper is online services which support planned or actual consultations between patients and GPs.
- “Attend Anywhere” Video Consultation Demonstration ft. Dr Peter Kelly & Dr Derek Kelly; 11 Apr 2020
- University of Oxford Video consultations: information for GPs
Secondary Care Specific
- Attend Anywhere: A slightly longer run-through for clinicians on our system before it went live last week by Peter Thomas (Director of Digital Innovation and Consultant Paediatric Ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital). 22 March 2020;
- Royal Berkshire Outpatient transformation: Delivering video consultations for outpatients. Experiences, impact and lessons learnt from Royal Berkshire implementing and operating VCs
- Royal Berkshire Appendix: Post COVID-19 Outpatient Referral and Service Delivery Process
- Digital technology and transformation of outpatient services, Reading, 22 June 2018: NHS and industry share insights and best practice in outpatient digital transformation
- Guidelines about how to adapt the various stages, strategies and procedures of CBT-E for teletherapy use in the particular circumstances of COVID-19.
Ophthalmology, Dental and Physiotherapy
- General Dental council High level principles for good practice in remote consultations and prescribing
- Chartered Society of Physiotherapy COVID-19: guide for rapid implementation of remote consultations
- Implementation of virtual clinics for medical retina patients in a tertiary eye care referral centre
General Resources
- The Health Foundation Scaling up virtual consultations across the NHS Implementing, evaluating and sustaining improvements
- Q Video consultations: how to set them up well, fast?
- Barts Health NHS Trust – Video consultations – quick guide for clinicans
- Video animation and guidance resources for NHS patients and clinicians to help them do online consultations
- Ausmed – A Guide to Video Telehealth Consultations
- Central and North West London NHS Trust – Video appointments A guide for patients
- MDU – Conducting remote consultations
- Royal Australian college of General Practitioners – Telehealth video consultations guide
- Virtual Online Consultations: Advantages and Limitations (VOCAL) Study
- When doctors and patients talk: making sense of the consultation: The report identifies the mutual fears that drive doctors and patients and the invisible structures that are natural to the doctor but hidden from the patient.
Virtual consultations – a GP’s view
Watch our interview with Dr Mo Ogunrinde sharing her experience of delivering virtual consultations during the pandemic.