Infectious disease update during COVID-19

All GPs are now welcome to use our national Infectious & Tropical Disease Advice and Guidance function on the e-referral system (NHS e-RS). We’re happy to give advice and offer rapid referral times, usually within two days.

The Rapid Access to Infectious Disease (RAID) service adds COVID-19 service (CRAID)

This service is for patients with suspected or confirmed acute infections e.g. with unexplained fever, cellulitis or resistant UTIs, who do not need admission but warrant prompt ID assessment and management. The service now includes a coronavirus clinic (patients needing attention within 28 days of infection) and we have undertaken more than 1,300 patient consultations so far. This clinic treats patients sick with COVID and is separate to the post-COVID clinic that UCLH also runs for patients suffering the after effects of the infection. Please contact the Hospital for Tropical Diseases (HTD) registrar via switchboard 020 3456 7890 or email referral  uclh.htdraid@nhs.net specifying RAID in the title.

HTD emergency walk-in clinic

For patients with suspected tropical infections, emergency walk-in is open at the HTD with important changes to make it COVID-secure.

Please advise any patient needing emergency treatment, following travel in the past 12 months, to read the advice here to ensure safe access during the pandemic:www.uclh.nhs.uk/OurServices/ServiceA-Z/HTD/Pages/Home.aspx

The HTD is running some outpatient clinics by telephone and video to reduce the need for patients to travel, where appropriate.

Using Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) as an alternative to admission during COVID-19

OPAT is the provision of intravenous antimicrobials used to treat infection in an outpatient or community setting as a safe alternative to inpatient care in medically stable patients. This helps reduce the burden on acute hospital services whilst ensuring safe care for patients. We accept direct GP referrals and patients can either be seen daily by our OPAT team or at home by community nurses. Please contact uclh.OPATatHTD@nhs.net