Long Covid: the NHS plan for 2021/22 (15 June 2021)

Summary

The Long Covid Plan 2021/22 builds on the previous five-point plan announced in October 2020 and outlines 10 key next steps to be taken by the NHS to support people living with Long Covid. The plan highlights the need for equity of access, outcomes and experience in Long Covid support, as well as committing to extending the Your COVID Recovery website, collecting and publishing data.

Content

At the NHS Confederation Conference on the 15 June 2021 Sir Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of the NHS, announced a further package of support for Long Covid for 2021/22. This includes a £100 million investment, £30 million of which will go towards an enhanced service for general practice to support Long Covid care. The remaining £70 million will be used to expand other NHS Long Covid services and establish 15 ‘paediatric hubs’ to coordinate care for children and young people.

This investment underpins The Long Covid Plan 21/22. This aims to build on the previous five-point plan announced in October 2020 and outlines 10 key next steps to be taken to support people living with Long Covid:

1. £70 million to expand Long Covid services to add to the £24 million already spent on Post-Covid Assessment Clinics.
2. £30 million for the rollout of an enhanced service for general practice to support patients to be managed in primary care, where appropriate, and enable more consistent referrals to clinics for specialist assessment and treatment.
3. Care coordination.
4. Establish 15 Post-Covid assessment children and young people’s hubs across England in order to coordinate care across a range of services.
5. Develop standard rehabilitation pathway packages to treat the commonest symptoms of Long Covid.
6. Extend the use of the Your Covid Recovery online rehabilitation platform.
7. Collect and publish data to support operational performance, and clinical and research activities.
8. Focus on equity of access, outcomes and experience.
9. Promote good clinical practice through the national learning network on Long Covid for healthcare professionals.
10. Support our NHS staff suffering from Long Covid.

Further related reading

• How will NHS staff with Long Covid be supported? (Dr Asad Khan)
• Long Covid: Information gaps and the safety implications (Patient Safety Learning)
• Long Covid Minister needed to respond to the growing crisis (Long Covid Support and Patient Safety Learning)
• My experience of suspected 'Long Covid' (Dr Jake Suett)
• Post-Covid-19 syndrome: What support can patients expect from their GP? (RCGP and Patient Safety Learning)
• Promises of Long Covid support have not materialised (Dr Clare Rayner)