PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Polly M Edmonds AU - Katherine E Sleeman AU - Natasha Lovell AU - Rosemary Chester AU - Richard P Towers AU - Stephen A Marshall AU - Irene J Higginson AU - Sabrina Bajwah AU - Wendy Prentice TI - The impact of and response to the COVID-19 pandemic on a hospital palliative care team AID - 10.7861/fhj.2020-0131 DP - 2021 Mar 01 TA - Future Healthcare Journal PG - 62--64 VI - 8 IP - 1 4099 - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/8/1/62.short 4100 - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/8/1/62.full SO - Future Healthc J2021 Mar 01; 8 AB - London was at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, with an exponential rise in hospital admissions from March 2020. This case study appraises the impact on and response of a hospital palliative care service based in a large inner-city teaching hospital. Referrals increased from a mean of 39 to 75 per week; deaths from 13 to 52 per week. Multiple actions were taken by the team to manage the surge in referrals, which have been categorised based on the 4S model: systems, space, stuff and staff. Several lessons are highlighted: need for flexible and responsive staffing over the 7-day week; implementing clear, accessible clinical guidance supported by ward-based teaching; benefits of integrating clinical practice with research; and the importance of maintaining team well-being and camaraderie to sustain change. Further evaluation is needed of the differential impact of changes made to inform service planning for future pandemics.