NHS to open clinics in England to help patients affected by 'long-COVID'

People who cannot shake off the effects of ‘long COVID’ symptoms will now be offered specialist help at clinics across England to help assess symptoms such as breathlessness, chronic fatigue, brain fog, anxiety and stress.

Respiratory consultants, physiotherapists, and GPs will all help assess, diagnose and treat thousands of sufferers who have reported these symptoms weeks and sometimes months after initially contracting the illness.

The new services will follow the long COVID clinic at University College London Hospital (UCLH) where earlier this summer, they treated over 900 people with long COVID symptoms, including those who were not admitted to hospital with the illness.

Medical evidence suggests 60,000 people could be suffering from long COVID symptoms after more than three months

UCLH chief executive, Professor Marcel Levi, said: “The UCLH post-COVID clinic has seen 900 patients since mid-May. We support moves to increase access for the growing patient groups with post-COVID-19 symptoms and the efforts to treat and rehabilitate patients who are often young, and their quality of life has been seriously impacted.

“There is a growing need to understand and offer access to care especially when, as a new illness, many struggle to access adequate care through traditional routes.”

Increasing medical evidence shows a small but significant minority of people who contract COVID cannot shake off the effects of the virus months after initially falling ill.

Some suggest 10 per cent of COVID patients may still be experiencing symptoms more than three weeks after infection, and perhaps 60,000 people could be suffering from long COVID symptoms after more than three months.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Long COVID can have a huge impact on people affected. We are doing everything we can to support people who are still suffering with effects on their health.

“Since May, rehabilitation facilities and recovery services have been available to those who have suffered with the virus and I am delighted to see these becoming more accessible with the opening of specialist clinics right across England.

“Combined with further research and the new NHS England Long COVID taskforce, these additional services will ensure people get the care they need, improve lives and aid in the fight against this global pandemic.”

New network will be a five-point package to boost NHS support for long-COVID patients

Earlier this week, NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens announced a £10 million package is to be invested this year in additional local funding to help start long COVID clinics in every area across England.

Sir Stevens said: “While this is still a relatively new virus, we are learning more about COVID with every passing week. It is now clear that long COVID can have a major impact on the lives of a significant minority of patient’s weeks or months after they have contracted the virus.

“Just as the NHS quickly put in place specialist hospital care for acutely ill COVID patients at the start of the pandemic, now we must respond sensitively and effectively to these new patient needs.”

Sir Simon said the new network will be a core element of a five-part package of measures to boost NHS support for long COVID patients:

1. New guidance commissioned by NHS England from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) by the end of October on the medical ‘case definition’ of long COVID. This will include patients who have had COVID who may not have had a hospital admission or a previous positive test. In November, evidence-based NICE clinical guidelines will be issued enabling NHS doctors, therapists and staff to provide a clear and personalised treatment plan. This will include education materials for GPs and other health professionals to help them refer and signpost patients to the right support.

2. An online rehab service called Your COVID Recovery provides personalised support to patients. It gives people general information and advice on living with long COVID.

This service will be available to anyone suffering symptoms that are likely due to COVID-19, regardless of location or whether they have spent time in hospital. It is most likely that patients will access the service through their GP, but they could also be referred through another healthcare professional following assessment.

3. Designated long COVID clinics. Post-COVID services will provide joined-up care for physical and mental health, with patients having access to:

– A physical assessment, which will include diagnostic testing, to identify any potential chronic health issues.

– A cognitive assessment, to assess any potential memory, attention, and concentration problems.

– A psychological assessment, to see if someone is suffering potentially from depression, anxiety, PTSD, or another mental health condition.

Patients could also then be referred from designated clinics into specialist lung disease services, sleep clinics, cardiac services, rehabilitation services, or signposted into Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) and other mental health services.

4. National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded research on long COVID which is working with 10,000 patients to better understand the condition and refine appropriate treatment.

5. The NHS’s support will be overseen by a new NHS England Long COVID taskforce which will include long COVID patients, medical specialists and researchers.

'Data shows over one in 10 have problems a month on and one in 50 are suffering after three months'

National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded research on long COVID which is working with 10,000 patients to better understand the condition and refine appropriate treatment.

Tim Spector, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London (KCL), and lead investigator of the ZOE KCL COVID symptom study app, said: “Using clinical data from the over four million people who downloaded the COVID Symptom Study app run by ZOE and KCL, we have a unique insight into the long-term problems suffered by COVID-19 patients who didn’t go to hospital. “Our data shows us over one in 10 still have problems a month on and around one in 50 are still suffering after three months.

“The COVID Symptom Study will be working closely with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) to provide educational materials on all the symptoms. There are plans to provide an early assessment of those at high risk of long COVID and severe disease via the app.”

Professor Spector and his team will also provide NHS England with data and work to identify volunteers for early intervention trials.

Professor Spector added: “We want to encourage everyone to download and use the COVID Symptom Study app to continue providing the NHS with vital information about this mysterious but devastating disease.”

To read more about Your COVID Recovery click here