People who are suffering long-term effects of Coronavirus will have access to an on-demand recovery service, the Government has announced.
Nurses and physiotherapists will be on hand to reply to patients’ needs either online or over the phone as part of the service. The new ‘Your COVID Recovery’ service forms part of NHS plans to expand access to COVID-19 rehabilitation treatments for those who have survived the virus but still have problems with breathing, mental health problems or other complications.
The initiative follows the building of a new Seacole rehabilitation centre to help those most seriously affected by the deadly virus, with similar facilities expected to open across the country.
Patients who have been in hospital or suffered at home with the virus will have access to a face-to-face consultation with their local rehabilitation team, usually comprising of physiotherapists, nurses and mental health specialists. Following this initial assessment, those who need it will be offered a personalised package of online-based aftercare lasting up to 12 weeks, available later this Summer.
Accessible, on-demand, from the comfort of their own home, this will include:
- Access to a local clinical team including nurses and physiotherapists who can respond either online or over the phone to any enquiries from patients;
- An online peer-support community for survivors – particularly helpful for those who may be recovering at home alone;
- Exercise tutorials that people can do from home to help them regain muscle strength and lung function in particular, and;
- Mental health support, which may include a psychologist within the online hub or referral into NHS mental health services along with information on what to expect post-COVID.
