Hooper Aiming to Ramp up Long Covid Services

DHSC Minister Lawrie Hooper has said his dept has submitted a bid to vastly expand the service it can provide to people suffering with long covid on the island.

The Lib Vannin leader said there are currently six people receiving treatment for long covid, with a further three on the waiting list.

The Minister was responding to questions from Tim Glover and Claire Christian about how many people are suffering from long covid and what support there is for them, how those patients are supported by Manx Care and what will differentiate the clinical approach applied to the respective patient groups within the planned pathways for long COVID and ME/chronic fatigue syndrome?

Part of the issue in diagnosing someone with long covid is that there is a wide range of symptoms that they could have all, some or even very few of, but it still impacts on their day to day lives.

Mr Hooper said: ‘The majority of people with any of the symptoms that can be associated with long covid would be treated through the usual pathways that already exist for treatment of these symptoms. However, some patients can present in a complex manner, especially around fatigue and related issues and in these cases, people will be referred to the Manx Care Long Covid Service.’

That service is currently delivered via the adult therapy service, which has lead to one long covid parent already contacting Gef today to ask what service is offered for children.

Business Case

The Minister added that a business case has submitted to Treasury for establishing an expanded service to encompass long covid and ME services, which were promised under the last administration.

The Leaflet

Since last year, questions have been asked about what Manx Care has published to support long covid sufferers. Over the Christmas break, we were told that a leaflet, presumably similar to the ones which have been available in some NHS trusts in England for some time, would shortly be available.

This week, Mr Hooper said that the leaflet was now ready and would shortly be published online which would help people ‘self-identify and self-manage some symptoms’ as well as plans to develop an online self-help package for those suffering with chronic fatigue. He also noted that there is more information and reading material available on the NHS England website about long covid and help for sufferers.

However, Mr Glover wasn’t best pleased with the suggestion that people should ‘look it up themselves’ and called on Mr Hooper to confirm that information would be available locally, as well as online. The Minister confirmed that the leaflet would be available locally and would also be made available on a dedicated Manx website for sufferers to access.

Mrs Christian

The Douglas South MHK’s question, which focussed more on the difference between ME and long covid, saw Mr Hooper outline how people referred into the service for long covid are initially assessed and their worst symptoms are highlighted for therapy and treatment.

He said if the business case bid to Treasury is successful, the service would be expanded ‘significant’ to include ‘dedicated clinicians working with ME and CFS and long covid patients, including a respiratory nurse, physio service, occupational therapist and a dietitian’. A clinical consultant psychologist would also be part of the team to help patients with the service, as well as other consultants and medical staff who expertise would cross over with the support.

Mr Hooper added: ‘it is worth noting, as I did earlier, that ME/CFA and long covid are not interchangeable terms. Whilst there are overlaps in presentation of some symptoms, there are also a number of differences and this will form an important factor in treatment pathways.’

In a supplementary, Mrs Christian asked the minister if there would be more specific targets for Manx Care to hit for the pathways for long covid and ME/CFS sufferers.

The Minister said that the first objective in the new mandate ‘specifies a requirement on Manx Care to complete the implementation of a post Covid-19 syndrome pathways’, meaning it will be monitored by the dept.

The Douglas South MHK further pushed the minister to confirm that GPs will receive long covid training alongside ME/CFE training and if not, asked when they would get it and who would provide it.

Mr Hooper said that GP training will include a mix of long covid and ME/CFS where they overlap and said that GPs would also receive support in how to diagnose and ensure people get onto the correct pathway for them.