Moving forward stronger: Addressing deterioration in people with long-term conditions during the pandemic (22 June 2021)

Summary

This report examines the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on people living with long-term conditions and highlights that many have deteriorated faster than usual due to being unable to access rehabilitation services. It makes recommendations to the government aimed at restoring rehabilitation support services.

The report was produced collaboratively by The Alzheimer's Society, The Stroke Association, Macmillan Cancer Support, The Centre for Mental Health, Age UK, The College of Podiatry, The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, The Royal College of Occupational Therapists, The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and The British Dietetic Association.

Content

Recommendations

The government should:

• fully fund a national two-year rehabilitation strategy that ensures people with significantly deteriorated long-term conditions get the therapeutic support they need
• appoint a national clinical lead to implement this rehabilitation strategy
• ensure local partners–such as local authorities and Integrated Care Systems (ICS)–develop and deliver their own localised rehabilitation strategy, and that each ICS has a regional rehabilitation lead.