Leeds patients suffering with long term Covid symptoms to get specialist help

NHS England announced on Friday that people in Leeds are amongst thousands across the country who can now access the help.

The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is just one of the many trusts offering the help across Yorkshire.

There are now 69 clinics in the country which will be taking referrals from GPs for people experiencing brain fog, anxiety, depression, breathlessness, fatigue and other debilitating symptoms.

NHS England has provided £10 million for the network of clinics, which started opening last month.

Sir Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive, said: “The NHS is taking practical action to help patients suffering ongoing health issues as a result of coronavirus.

“Bringing expert clinicians together in these clinics will deliver an integrated approach to support patients access vital rehabilitation, as well as helping develop a greater understanding of long covid and its debilitating symptoms.”

New research has shown one in five people with coronavirus develop longer term symptoms and around 186,000 people suffer problems for up to 12 weeks, the Office for National Statistics found.

The new centres bring together doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists to offer both physical and psychological assessments and refer patients to the right treatment and rehabilitation services.

There are 18 sites open across the North East and Yorkshire which are in addition to nine in the North West, eight in the Midlands, South East and South West, seven in the East of England and ten in London.

A further 12 sites are earmarked to launch in January in the East Midlands, Lancashire, Cornwall and Isle of Wight.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has also issued official guidance on best practice for recognising, investigating and rehabilitating patients with long covid.

Patients can access services if they are referred by a GP or another healthcare professional, so that doctors can first rule out other possible underlying causes for symptoms.

The NHS has also launched a long covid taskforce, with patients, charities, researchers and clinicians involved, to help lead the NHS response to long covid, produce information and support materials for patients and healthcare professionals, and develop a wider understanding of the condition.

Yorkshire trusts offering the service:

York Teaching Hospital HS Foundation Trust

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust

North Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust

The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust

Barnsley Healthcare Federation

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Bradford Teaching hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

The Mid Yorkshire Hospital NHS Trust

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust