Bit by bit, the world is returning to normal and I find my clinical practice is also recovering and I am enjoying face-to-face interactions with patients (and sometimes even their carers) as we did in pre-COVID-19 times. The world, and medical practice, has moved on – for example, a much greater degree of remote consultation will be remain and, for routine monitoring, that must be a good thing for many patients.

I find many patients and colleagues, have been badly affected by the pandemic and it will take some considerable time for them to regain their resilience. In the clinics we are overwhelmed by the number of two-week wait referrals, such that it makes those with inflammatory dermatoses wait longer. We seem to be struggling to get this balance right again – although several national initiatives may help. Patients also find the experience of visiting the hospital outpatients more stressful, often manifest as a concern if they are not seen promptly. Somehow, we need to work through the next year to restore the humanity and improve how we interact with each other as a society.