Long Covid sufferers express relief at specialist help

Tamara O'Brien said chronic fatigue and joint pain sometimes left her bed bound

Long Covid sufferers in Guernsey are being referred to a specialist clinic in England.

Until recently adults with the illness, also known as Post-Covid Syndrome, have had on-island medical care and remote consultations with a doctor in Jersey.

Now a specialist assessment clinic in Southampton is receiving its first Guernsey patients, Health and Social Care said.

It comes after some islanders have expressed frustration at the wait to access UK services.

Anna Taylor and Tamara O'Brien both said breathlessness, chronic joint pain, headaches and fatigue made life a constant battle.

The women - who are part of the same support network - said it had been years since they developed the condition and it was only now they feel they are getting the proper specialist care they need.

Mrs O'Brien said: "When I first got Covid even having a shower would have me on the floor breathless.

"It would take me half an hour to get down the stairs. I lost a stone and a half in a week and a half so it was quite severe. When I went to see my GP she couldn't believe how weak I'd become."

Accountant Anna Taylor said since having Long Covid she now relied on a mobility scooter

She said: "I should find out soon what they can offer me, but I am not giving up hope for the sake of my family, of finding a treatment that will even give me 10% back of the person I used to be."

Consultation is carried out on the phone and through an app where patients log their symptoms before treatments are recommended.

Mrs Taylor said she was also grateful to have the chance for treatment at the clinic, having first requested a referral to the UK a year ago.

She said: "Before Covid I was your typical busy working mum, transporting children to all their events, since then I've had terrible fatigue muscle pains, brain fog and I can't do any of the things I used to do."

In January 2022, Mrs Taylor saw her GP because she was not getting better and by October was referred to a consultant in Jersey who recommended a trial drug.

She said: "The drug treatment sadly didn't work for me. Then I was told the arrangement with Jersey had ended so I was left in limbo with no active care for my condition.

"I requested a referral to Southampton which didn't happen until fairly recently.

"Now I've had my first two consultations with them and its at last looking promising because I am speaking to people who have true expertise with Covid issues."

The Post-Covid Syndrome recovery app is used by patients in Guernsey

Health and Social Care said secondary care clinicians in Guernsey have always had the option to refer patients to a UK centre, with NHS services in Southampton, the island's biggest partner.

A spokesperson from Health and Social Care (HSC) said: ‘The pathway for Long Covid locally is that we recommend that patients see their GP.

"Most cases are managed in Primary Care, with appropriate input from therapists (physiotherapists etc).

"GPs can also refer to secondary care doctors as appropriate, and secondary care doctors may seek further support if required – and have done for a small number of cases.

"HSC does not collate information centrally regarding Long Covid as the majority of cases are seen in Primary Care."