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.