Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Naughten for raising this important matter. Covid-19 is a new disease, so information on it, its features and its course are still emerging. The natural history, clinical course and consequences of Covid-19 are still not completely understood. It is recognised that most patients with Covid-19 return to baseline after acute infection, but a proportion of people report ongoing health issues. There is a lot of uncertainty in the international literature about how many people experience these prolonged symptoms, so it is extremely difficult to determine the scale of this.

People who have had Covid-19 and are in need of further care are currently being followed up by their GP or in hospital settings as clinically appropriate. Treatment is currently focused on the management of specific symptoms. Those in the community who are concerned about persistent Covid-19 symptoms should contact their GP in the first instance. Building on the services already in place to support people with post-acute and long Covid symptoms, I am pleased to be able to inform the Deputy that the HSE has developed an interim model of care for long Covid. A programme manager for long Covid has been appointed and clinical leads representing respiratory medicine, infectious diseases and neurology have also been appointed. This interim model of care outlines how services and supports for people with long Covid should be designed and delivered. I advise the Deputy that an implementation team has been established to oversee this work and its initial priority will be on the establishment of post-acute and long Covid clinics to treat patients as needed, while also working to better understand the demand for this service.

The HSE has advised the Department of plans for each hospital group to have access to both a post-acute and long Covid clinic. It is planned that long Covid clinics will be located at Cork University Hospital, St. James's Hospital, University Hospital Limerick, Galway University Hospital, Beaumont Hospital and St. Vincent's University Hospital. It is planned that post-acute clinics will be located at Cork University Hospital, St. James's Hospital, University Hospital Limerick, Galway University Hospital, Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, Letterkenny University Hospital and the Mater University Hospital. The HSE has indicated that long Covid clinics will manage people from 12 weeks post onset of symptoms. Post-acute clinics will be assessing and managing individuals with ongoing symptoms that are four to 12 weeks after initial onset of infection. This will include those that have been hospitalised, in addition to GP referrals for people with more moderate to severe symptoms.

I understand from the HSE that it will be setting up working groups for these clinics over the coming weeks. The objective of these working groups will be to standardise the pathways of care, including multi-disciplinary team supports and operating aspects of the services. This may need to adapt and change over time in response to lessons from the sites, the evolving situation with Covid and emerging evidence. I assure the Deputy that the Department of Health will continue to develop an understanding of the implications of long Covid to inform policy as appropriate.

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