Experts at Halton General Hospital are using a video link up to improve patient care

Dec 3 2009 Chester Chronicle

A VIDEO link-up between medical experts across the region is helping patients at Halton General Hospital receive the best diagnosis and management of their conditions.

Respiratory consultants Dr John Williams and Dr Mohammad Asim, based at the hospital’s Delamere Centre, use a conference call to have monthly meetings with Dr Lisa Spencer, consultant respiratory physician at Aintree University Hospital, and other health professionals to discuss patients under their care.

“This is a great opportunity to tap into the best resources in the country on respiratory medicine and ensure that we are providing the best management of our patients’ conditions,” said Dr John Williams.

Halton hospital is the first to link in to the multidisciplinary team meetings, in which fellow consultants, radiologists, pathologists and palliative care staff come together via video technology to discuss cases.

The meeting gives them the chance to discuss putting patients into medicine and treatment trials to provide unifying and consistently high quality of care and management.

The NHS as a whole is developing disease networks so that experts can come together to discuss cases and ensure high-quality care.