The Scottish Government Minister for Public Health Jenni Minto has spent the morning (Monday 11 March) at University Hospital Crosshouse learning more about local rehabilitation services for patients with long COVID. The visit has taken place ahead of International Long COVID Awareness Day on Friday 15 March.
While most people are fully recovered from coronavirus by four weeks after infection, unfortunately some patients experience ongoing symptoms, including breathlessness, fatigue, pain, cognitive impairment and anxiety.
NHS Ayrshire & Arran has a long COVID multidisciplinary pathway, which provides a single point of access for assessment and coordinated support from services, depending on the individual patient’s needs. This may include physiotherapy, occupational therapy and nursing support. Since May 2023, 192 long COVID patients have been referred in to the pathway for assessment and further treatment.
Ms Minto met with team members from the COVID Rehabilitation Service to hear more about their work and the benefits to Ayrshire patients living with long COVID.
Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said:
“We take long COVID very seriously and recognise the impact it can have on those most severely affected.
“Through our £10 million long COVID Support Fund, we are making available £3 million this financial year to support NHS boards to increase the capacity of existing services, and develop more clearly defined local pathways. This is in addition to what our healthcare system – supported by £19.5 billion – is already delivering across our full range of NHS services.
“NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s service brings together an invaluable wealth of experience from a range of healthcare professionals and I would like to thank the team for all their hard work in supporting those living with long COVID.
“I was very pleased to hear from those who have benefitted from a service that can make a real difference to people’s lives – something we have now rolled out to the majority of our NHS boards.”
NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s Team Lead for COVID/Cardiac and Multimorbidity Rehabilitation, Jane Holt has been integral in the set up and delivery of the long COVID rehabilitation service. She said:
“Symptoms of long COVID can be debilitating. We are bringing together specialists from a number of disciplines to provide patient-centred care for those in our communities who are living with the ongoing impact of coronavirus. It has been fantastic to get the opportunity to talk about the important work of this team with the Public Health Minister, as well as giving some of our patients the chance to share details of the positive impact they’ve experienced through the pathway.
“Expanding the work we do to encompass COVID rehab came naturally to us, as our work is embedded in long term conditions and the impact that it has on people. The multidisciplinary team has risen to the challenge and continue to innovate to help shape this new service for those experiencing long COVID. Soon we will be welcoming a psychologist to the team, as many of those on the pathway experience neurocognitive/brain fog symptoms as well as incapacitating physical symptoms.”
“We are committed to working with third sector partners such as Chest, Heart and Stoke Scotland, Long COVID Scotland and to listening, validating and supporting people who live with this condition.”