To ask the Minister of Health (i) for an update on the provision of, and treatment being offered at, long Covid clinics; and (ii) for his assessment of the success of these clinics in treating the illness and its symptoms.

I fully recognise the need to provide support to all those who are dealing with longer term health impacts as a result of COVID-19 infection and on 1st November 2021, I launched the first dedicated assessment and treatment services for Post-COVID-19 Syndrome. The PCS services comprise a number of separate strands as follows:

Strand 1 - One-Stop-Shop Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) Assessment Service

Patients can be referred to the MDT assessment clinic from primary and secondary care. The majority of diagnostic tests are expected to have been completed prior to referral in order to rule out other causes for the patient’s symptoms. However, patients will receive an holistic assessment to include identifying patients with breathlessness who may benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation; and those who may need onward referral to secondary or community services and/or signposting to self-management resources. A Lead GP or senior hospital doctor also supports the MDT as appropriate in deciding on further investigation and onward referral.

Strand 2 - Bespoke pulmonary rehabilitation / dysfunctional breathing service for patients with significant respiratory symptoms post-COVID-19

The purpose of this strand is to put in place timely, effective arrangements for outpatient rehabilitation for those individuals with PCS which has resulted in significant respiratory symptoms. However, most patients do not commence pulmonary rehabilitation until at least 12 weeks post COVID-19, unless otherwise clinically indicated.

Strand 3 - Patients discharged from critical care (both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19)

The purpose of this strand is to ensure timely and effective arrangements for the follow-up and assessment of people discharged from critical care (both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19), reflecting the known risk of long-term sequelae following a long stay in critical care.

Strand 4 - Strengthening Psychology Support to all Trusts

The psychological impact of COVID-19 (depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, traumatic bereavement, psychosis, risk to self and/or others) is recognised in extant national guidance. Each HSC Trust has been supported to recruit an additional senior psychologist, with their main role supporting Strand 3, but also providing advice to staff working in Strands 1 and 2.

Strand 5 - Signposting and access to self-management resources

Patients in Northern Ireland can access self-management resources which include the NHS App Your Covid Recovery (Managing The Effects | Your COVID Recovery) and a locally-developed document developed within Northern Ireland by Allied Health Professional (AHP) staff (https://view.pagetiger.com/longcoviddigitalsupport).

Since the launch of the first PCS in November 2021, one-stop-shop multidisciplinary assessment clinics have been accepting referrals for post-COVID-19 syndrome across all Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust areas, with a total of 982 referrals up to the end of January 2022.

We are continuing to work to understand PCS however, we do know that the condition is very complex with more than one body system affected and individuals can have unique combinations of fluctuating symptoms.

It is planned that an evaluation of these services will be undertaken in 2022/23.