TY - JOUR T1 - UK neurology response to the COVID-19 crisis JF - Clinical Medicine JO - Clin Med SP - 266 LP - 269 DO - 10.7861/clinmed.2020-0159 VL - 20 IS - 3 AU - Catherine J Mummery AU - Christopher M Kipps Y1 - 2020/05/01 UR - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/20/3/266.abstract N2 - COVID-19 has led to seismic changes in neurological practice in a matter of weeks. The Association of British Neurologists has supported neurology specialists and patients during this rapid reorganisation and its attendant challenges. We have written guidance on structured service transformation, considering the need to sustain long term care while responding to acute developments; we have recognised that staff experience differs and that this, as well as individual risk factors should be considered when redeployment occurs. Appreciating that there may be understandable anxiety when facing a working routine outside normal practice, we have signposted ethical and psychological support for individuals. We have also focused on our patients: we have facilitated a national alert system to register all neurological COVID cases, coordinating research efforts on this new disease; finally we have defined how to identify the most vulnerable patients under our care. When this initial wave of the pandemic subsides, we will have planned for return to the new ‘norm’, ready to embrace innovation where appropriate, aiming to minimise fall-out in our chronic disease population, and potentially having enhanced and modernised our services. ER -