Ms Sarah O'Connell:

We have an example because we have been asked whether there is a country that is getting it right or doing better on this. One Irish patient who is living in France has given us a good insight into the approach there. When she first became sick she saw a consultant every month for the first eight months and now sees him every three months. She has been sick since 2020. There is easy access to a wide variety of supports and services, including physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and access to neurological rehabilitation clinics. A national online GP training programme has been organised by one of the leading long Covid clinicians. In February 2021, very early days, the Government voted long Covid as what is referred to in France as an affection de longue durée, ALD. This status brings much of the same protections as disability status for illness brings here. In France, ALD status acknowledges the illness as a major or long-term illness for which the Government accepts full responsibility for the cost of the person’s care.

France is also trying interventions among the patient community based on the benefits they see on the ground. For example, more and more long Covid patients there are being prescribed oxygen because it seems to help many people. The most prominent long Covid consultant there opened a long Covid clinic in March 2021. Patients go in for the day, have a battery of tests and scans and see a cardiologist, neurologist and neuropsychologist. They have PET scan access. For a whole year, this particular consultant trained doctors and nurses and opened clinics. Today, that consultant is still very engaged in raising awareness.

This example shows clearly that using clinicians in the country who already have the expertise and experience is the easiest way to approach training in the healthcare profession. We cannot say the situation in France is perfect. The person who is living there has pointed this out. Gaps remain in the approach to the children’s service. However, it clearly indicates that France is doing a good job. New Zealand is also doing well in terms of risk assessing the scale of the problem and developing ambitious plans on how to handle it. Victoria is doing well on public awareness campaigns.