• Dimitris A Tsitsikas, Natasha Lewis, Kayleigh McCloskey, John Meenan, Rhys Hall, Dede-Kossi Osakonor, Basabi Chaterjee, Jorge Cartier, Jaye Ferrigi, Jenny Darkwah, and Bala Sirigireddy.
• Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK dimitris.tsitsikas@nhs.net.
• Clin Med (Lond). 2020 Nov 1; 20 (6): e241e243e241-e243.

AbstractSickle cell disease is characterised by recurrent painful crises often leading to hospitalisation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was important to try to reduce the need for hospital admission for these high-risk patients while at the same time ensuring that hospital avoidance did not put them at risk of deterioration from disease-related complications. In the 3-month period between March and May 2020, there was a significant reduction in the number of hospital admissions as well as mean length of stay compared with the mean figures over the same months in the preceding 5 years (2015-19), with an overall reduction in inpatient days of 77%. There were no cases of unsafe hospital avoidance or presentations to hospital that were inappropriately delayed. Frequent telephone communication with patients and provision of ambulatory care were, among others, two very important means of supporting our patient population.© 2020 Royal College of Physicians 2020. All rights reserved.

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