Post-Covid Syndrome (PCS) - also called Long Covid

Working with colleagues from Healthwatch in Barking & Dagenham and Redbridge, in collaboration with NHS North East London and the NELFT Long Covid Clinic at King George Hospital, we asked local people to tell us about their experience of Long Covid. We did this through a combination of surveys and interviews with local service users. We also interviewed GPs and other clinicians.

The full report of the project is available below.

Dr Adam Ainley, Consultant Respiratory Physician and Clinical Lead for the BHRUT Long Covid clinic, commented:

“The partnership between Healthwatch and members of the BHRUT/NELFT Long Covid service has been useful in exploring patient experience and in particular, access to support. We have been able to respond to challenges evident from the data to undertake steps to increase awareness of our specialist clinic at King George and by working with stakeholders to simplify the referral process. It has been good to see an increased visibility of the clinic during the time the data was collected and an increase in the number of patients getting support.”

Long Covid videos translated into community languages to support residents get the support they need

Long Covid is defined as signs and symptoms that develop during or after an infection consistent with COVID-19, continue for more than 12 weeks and cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis. It is diagnosed when these lasting symptoms cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis and the necessary tests have been completed to rule these out.

A suite of information videos, including in Gujarati, Bengali and Urdu have been produced to support our communities get the support they need to help them recover from Long Covid.

The videos can be accessed using the links below:

 Gujarati

• Long Covid symptoms – when should I get help?
• The Long Covid referral process and services offered
• The difference Long Covid Services made to my care

Bengali

• Long Covid symptoms – when should I get help?
• The Long Covid clinic referral process and services offered  
• The difference Long Covid Services made to my care

Urdu

• Long Covid symptoms – when should I get help?
• The Long Covid clinic referral process and services offered
• The difference Long Covid services made to my care

Versions of the videos are available in English below:

• Long Covid symptoms – when should I get help? 
• The Long Covid clinic referral process and services offered
• The difference Long Covid services made to my care

The NHS across north east London encourages local people who have symptoms of Long Covid to see their GP to get the appropriate support.