COVID-19 has forced a re-engineering of healthcare in all settings and accelerated 20 years of change in the NHS over the space of a few short months.

Optimising clinical systems and enabling patients to self-monitor, to aid the early identification and timely management of deteriorating patients (including those with COVID-19) in the community is a critical step in reducing avoidable deaths from all conditions.

This new ‘norm’ across the NHS involves the use of remote assessments, patient empowerment and monitoring with both acute conditions (like COVID-19) and chronic diseases.

A webinar hosted by the Oxford AHSN on 23 September will highlight examples of innovation in assessing and managing patients in the community with suspected COVID-19

• Trish Greenhalgh, Professor of Primary Healthcare Sciences, University of Oxford, will talk about an assessment tool that provides an early warning score.
• Matt Inada-Kim, Acute Physician and National Clinical Lead-Deterioration/Sepsis, will discuss national guidance and virtual wards.
• Lalitha Iyer, Executive Medical Director Frimley Collaborative, will focus on a pilot virtual ward project in Slough.
• Andy Walden, Consultant Intensive Care Medicine, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, will share details of the TICC-19 (Triage Into Community COVID-19) assessment and management GP/hospital ‘hot hub’ interface.
• Dan Lasserson, Senior Interface Physician/Associate Professor, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust/Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, will highlight his work on point of care ultrasound (POCUS) in ambulatory care, including care homes.