The Welsh government has launched a £5m package of support to expand the provision of diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and care for those suffering from the long-term effects of Covid-19.
The latest funding programme serves as part of a new patients pathway programme dubbed Adferiad (Recovery).
“The Adferiad programme, which will be launched later this week to coincide with new guidelines surrounding the treatment of the long term effects of those recovering from Covid-19, will be reviewed every six months and underlines the fact the Welsh Government and NHS Wales recognise long Covid as a serious and potentially debilitating condition,” the government said on Tuesday (June 15).
The package and Adferiad programme will further develop primary and community services to support individuals who have specific needs as a result of the impacts of the pandemic.
The cash injection will help healthcare workers and Allied Health Professionals develop infrastructure to flexibly deliver services to help people recover from Covid-19, long Covid and those more widely impacted by the pandemic.
It will also support high quality, evidence based training and digital resources to assist in diagnosing, investigating and treating long Covid and supporting people in their treatment and rehabilitation.
The funding will also be invested in digital tools which will provide data about service demand and capacity modelling and ensure the NHS helps people make the right treatment decisions for their care and treatment.
Health minister Eluned Morgan said: “It has been fascinating to learn about how we have been tackling the long term effects of Covid, including long Covid and the wider impacts of the pandemic in Wales, both from healthcare workers on the front line and those who have experienced this awful virus themselves.
“In Wales we are committed to personalised treatment and rehabilitation pathways to meet people’s needs, as we believe this is the most effective way to care for those experiencing the effects of long Covid.
“We believe our Adferiad (Recovery) programme will be key in ensuring we are leading the way in patient care. By investing in the staff, infrastructure, training and tools to deliver these services, we are showing our commitment to improving the diagnosis, treatment and care of those with long Covid.”
