In March 2020, the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic. Patients with cardiovascular conditions, including heart failure (HF), are disproportionately impacted by this new disease. Escalating mortality figures and pressures on staff and resources have challenged us on how best to support those affected, and how to deal with death and dying. This short paper will review health practice and policy changes arising from this coronavirus pandemic and signpost a selection of available tools and resources that can assist healthcare professionals in providing optimal palliative and end of life care for HF patients in the current and post COVID-19 eras. As shielding and social distancing of varying degrees was instigated across most European countries, the provision of conventional models of HF service delivery was either suspended, or reconstituted in a virtual format through telephone consultations or the use of telemedicine.1–3 Clinical trial evidence confirms that the integration of telehealth bolsters HF practice,4–6 but today’s service providers noted requests for information from many patient-carer dyads on ‘keeping well’ and ‘who to contact’ if HF symptoms deteriorated. Services also reported the worrying observation of a reduced number of patients across the spectrum of cardiovascular disease attending hospital Emergency Departments. The effect of this trend may become evident later, in an increase in all-cause mortality as further data emerge. Recent position statements released both nationally and internationally have reiterated the importance of maintaining HF specialist services to facilitate prompt healthcare access for patients at points of crisis,3,7,8 requiring professionals to adopt variants of a previously accepted HF service structure.9 As the pandemic subsides and HF services are reconfigured, some effective elements of the new virtual care models could be incorporated, avoiding some of the risks inherent in care transitions, and consolidating a more seamless continuum between hospital-based clinics and primary care.