Advice line for GPs reinvests £100,000 in NHS

A neurology hotline for GPs in north west England has seen £100,000 a year reinvested back into the NHS and patients spared unnecessary worry and travel time.

Run by the Walton Centre in Liverpool, the advice line enables GPs in the Cheshire and Merseyside region to call neurology consultants for fast advice during the week, reducing extra patient appointments and meaning less time off work for patients, less travelling and consequently less pollution for the environment.

According to NNH England, of the 181 calls received last year, 37 per cent were resolved by the GP. This saved £51,698, which over a year saves around £100,000.

Julie Riley, the programme director, said: “We want to deliver services closer to home and when patients do come into hospital, support them so they can recover and go home quicker. From a patient point of view, we want to work in partnership with them. We, our consultant colleagues and GPs want to support them in self-management, where appropriate – rather than taking a paternalistic approach.”

The Walton Centre is the only specialist hospital trust in the UK dedicated to providing comprehensive neurology, neurosurgery, spinal and pain management services.