University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust's long COVID service at ‘forefront of national response’ celebrates five years

The long COVID service, which was set up in June 2020, is made up of a range of health professionals including Consultants, Advanced Clinical Practitioners, Specialist Nurses, GPs and Allied Health Professionals.

Since its launch, more than 8,000 patients across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland have been reviewed in the service, which is based at the Glenfield Hospital.

On Tuesday 10 June, UHL colleagues and patients came together to mark the five-year milestone at a celebration event in the Secret Garden.

Julie Skeemer, Advanced Clinical Practitioner for the long COVID service, said: “This service has successfully supported thousands of people across the city and county who have long COVID. Being able to offer our patients treatment pathways and support them with this challenging illness, has been extremely rewarding.

“We wanted to use this five-year milestone to celebrate how much has been achieved, not just for the service, but also our incredible patients, who have been through so much. We know the virus hasn’t gone away and we want to remind people, that we are still here and able to support you.”

After contracting COVID-19, most people go on to make a full recovery, however, research and patient testimony, shows some people continue to have symptoms after the virus for more than 12 weeks - this may be due to long COVID.

Some of the most common symptoms of long COVID include extreme fatigue, brain fog, breathlessness, difficulty sleeping, muscle aches and heart palpitations. However, the illness has many symptoms, which can make it difficult to receive a diagnosis.

Twenty-six-year-old Anita Widdowson was diagnosed with long COVID in 2022 and has been supported by the service. She said: “I realised I had long COVID about six months after I had contracted the virus. I went to bed one night feeling absolutely fine and when I woke up, I had completely lost the ability to move my legs. I also suffer with brain fog, which is a common symptom many people with the illness have. It took more than a year to regain the ability to walk again and, even now, I still use a walking stick. The long COVID service has been so supportive, and they have been working so hard to find me the right treatment.”

The service has supported hundreds of people by investigating symptoms and working with relevant clinical teams to provide the right support. One in six of the patients who have been treated by the service have even gone on to be involved in vital research into the illness.

Professor Rachael Evans, Respiratory Consultant, added: “Right from the beginning we put our patients at the centre of our research while collaborating closely with partners and clinical colleagues from across the Trust. Of the 8,000 patients we have supported, 1,275 have been recruited into vital research, which is so important in understanding how we can work to improve care. We are so grateful to our patient participants for giving up their time and energy to support research.

“The work taking place within Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland has been at the forefront of the national response to long COVID and I am extremely proud of what the service has achieved.”

The long COVID service accepts patients aged 16 and over who have had Covid-19 and have ongoing symptoms that have lasted more than 12 weeks. Patients can be referred into the service via their GP.

Once referred, the patient will have an initial telephone assessment before being referred for the most appropriate treatment pathway.