The NCL Integrated Post-COVID Syndrome Service is an integrated service covering primary, secondary and community care for adults with post-COVID syndrome. UCLH offers a single point of access to the service for NCL, further diagnostics and tests for those who need it and runs the lift self-management webinar series.

UCLH will refer patients onto the relevant community provider for rehabilitation for symptoms such as fatigue and breathlessness and peer support programmes. People can also be referred to our vocational rehabilitation service offered by the Royal Free. Each borough has an MDT with the community provider, UCLH, NHS Talking Therapies and borough GP lead. 

People accessing the service can receive a Personal Health Budget, and UCLH is currently trialling digital support for fatigue management. Community providers will also refer on to relevant VCS programmes. 

Evidence of a positive COVID test is not required for the service.

Patient initiated follow-up (PIFU) appointments

The service will be placing patients on patient initiated follow-up (PIFU) appointments, but patients may experience ongoing symptoms of post-COVID syndrome for many months. These patients will have received sufficient investigations to exclude other medical causes and will have a management plan. 

If the patients feel there is a flare of symptoms and they wish to seek advice, they can trigger a PIFU appointment with the service. Sometimes new symptoms develop and, in this instance, the service would like them to arrange a review with their primary care team to confirm the correct course of action.

If the patient's long-COVID illness continues beyond the duration of the PIFU period, the service would ask that their GP provides ongoing management advice, as long-COVID can be a long-lasting illness in some people. This information will be included in patient letters.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusions

Patients aged 18+ and registered with a GP in NCL who:

• have been admitted to hospital for acute COVID-19 and, on follow-up by the acute provider, are found to have symptoms consistent with post-COVID syndrome
• present to general practice and were never admitted to hospital for acute COVID-19 (a full assessment must be carried out as described in the NCL post-COVID syndrome primary care guidance, see Downloads).

How to Refer