827 ENT Attendances to a Tertiary Centre Surgical Assessment Unit: Are We Busier in the COVID-19 Aftermath?

Aim

The aim is to evaluate the effect COVID-19 has had on the ENT service at a tertiary care centre by comparing the number of ENT attendances made to our Surgical Assessment Unit (SAU) pre and post COVID-19.

Method

A retrospective comparison was made between the number of patients attending SAU and discharged the same day over the winter months (January - March) and the summer months (May - July) in 2019 and 2023 providing an accurate reflection on the SAU service provided pre and post COVID-19.

Attendances were sub-categorised into 14 common ENT conditions based on the diagnosis upon discharge.

Results

Comparing winter in 2019 to 2023 illustrated a 2.72-fold increase in the number of attendances seen post COVID-19 (132 attendances in 2019 vs 359 attendances in 2023).

Comparing summer in 2019 to 2023 highlighted an 8.6-fold increase in the number of attendances post COVID-19 (16 attendances in 2019 vs 137 attendances in 2023).

Tonsillitis, pharyngitis, peritonsillar abscesses and ear infections were the most common diagnoses in both summer and winter cohorts.

Comparing seasons highlighted that the ENT service was far busier in the winter months than the summer months irrespective of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusions

The data indicates a significant increase in the caseload post COVID-19 upon our same day ENT assessment service, leading to a direct impact upon the running of the service. Steps have subsequently been taken to identify areas for improvement to reduce the burden on the service, without compromising on the standards of patient care.