Introduction
COVID-19 has been declared an international pandemic. It is thought that
COVID-19 is spread via respiratory droplets necessitating the use of
personal protective equipment (PPE) when assessing and managing
suspected cases 1. The nature of ear nose and throat
(ENT) examinations may put practitioners at high risk of transmission2and this has led ENTUK to release specific
guidelines3. Where possible face to face consultations
are minimised and telephone consultations used. Where this cannot be
achieved appropriate PPE is essential.4
Prior to the COVID 19 pandemic, a rapid access triage clinic was run by
the junior ENT doctor holding the referral bleep. With the advent of
COVID-19, the ENT rapid access clinic was streamlined to provide review
by a senior clinician to facilitate treatment and discharge in as many
cases as possible. The intention was to reduce admission rates and
potential exposure to COVID positive inpatients in the main hospital.
This initial report presents data from the first 5 weeks, demonstrating
the range of conditions that are still presenting to ENT on a
semi-urgent basis. We also discuss the patients who require repeat
consultations, despite the transmission risk associated with multiple
attendances.