This project is part of a national consortium

Contact: Professor Nisreen Alwan MBE, University of Southampton

Currently in England, there are 90 specialist Post Covid services in which assessment and treatment of Long Covid, and other complications of COVID-19, are informed by NICE guidelines and growing expertise in the field. However, there is evidence that access to such clinics and related care pathways, the nature of those pathways, and patient experience, varies. Research is required to inform diagnosis, care, public health strategies, policy planning, resource allocation and budgeting. It is likewise essential to define the usual care pathway in Post Covid services, and to understand patient presentation, and the effectiveness and cost of care.

We will:

• Interview patients and health care professionals working in Post Covid services to understand their experience and document how the services function

• Invite patients to take part in a follow up survey to examine the outcomes of care and cost

• Review clinic data and patient reported data to estimate the costs of Long Covid care, and how this varies by service and patient characteristics

• Analyse routine data such as GP data and Hospital Episode Statistics as a supplement to the results from Post Covid services

This study is part of the larger STIMULATE-ICP research programme and is funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR). Ethical approval was obtained from South Central - Berkshire Research Ethics Committee (IRAS 303958).

How can I find out more?

If you have any questions about this project, please contact Donna Clutterbuck: d.clutterbuck@soton.ac.uk

Do watch our patient-led video on this part of the study below.

The STIMULATE-ICP consortium includes: University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, University College London, University of Central Lancashire, LongCovidSOS, UK Doctors #Longcovid, Royal College of General Practitioners, University of Liverpool, Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Perspectum, Living With, University of Hull, Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust, University of York, University of Leicester, University of Exeter, University of Southampton, University of Sussex, Alliance Medical, GE Healthcare, Olink, Francis Crick Institute, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration East Midlands, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North Thames, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Yorkshire and Humber, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North West Coast, British Heart Foundation Data Science Centre, BHF Data Science Centre, Health Data Research UK, Office of National Statistics, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Trust, as well as NIHR Clinical Research Network support.