Gino Kenny challenges HSE on long COVID clinics and waiting times

Minister, my question is around the HSE plans around long COVID clinics and will they be more focused on holistic neuro-focused multidisciplinary issues around the issues of long COVID? For the question, Deputy, and despite all of the progress in relation to COVID, I am very aware that long COVID is causing a great deal of suffering for people across the country. And we heard some testimony, I don't know if you heard it this morning on Morning Ireland indeed from people who are suffering from long COVID. We also did hear though from the clinical leads in terms of what is happening and it is very clear that their services are being put in place as they must be. So to ensure that people who do need the care get it, the HSE has developed the plan for long COVID nationally services and they are being rolled out at the moment. The model of care provides a framework for how the services are designed and delivered. It has a holistic focus on service delivery provided through the GPs, through community-led interventions and then the specialist consultant-led clinics where that is appropriate. The investment in the service has trebled this year, so we are taking it very seriously. And to date, six new long COVID clinics have been established as well as six new post-acute COVID clinics and there are two further post-acute clinics due to become operational shortly. As well as that, there is a dedicated neurology clinic that has been established in St. James' to provide the specialist assessment, diagnostics, treatment planning for patients who have persistent symptoms. That has been referenced by the clinical leads this morning. It is a consultant-led service that we have a consultant neurologist there and in addition, the HSE, as you will be aware, has developed online resources for self-management of symptoms and critically as well, additional training for healthcare workers including for GPs who are now trying to support their patients. Recruitment is ongoing to fully staff up the new long COVID service. Staff include consultants in infection diseases, respiratory medicine, psychiatry, neurology, as well as health and social care professionals and clinical psychologists. And in total, an additional 40 staff, or 39.4 staff, have been recruited to date and further recruitment is underway. Thanks, Mr. and we welcome that. There is a conference today on long COVID and I think we are only understanding the evolution of long COVID and those that have been really debilitated by it. And it is extremely debilitating to say the least. I think we probably all know people that have long COVID and, you know, it has, you know, changed their life to a certain circumstances and it has kind of, you know, put their life on hold. It has changed. But the good news is that the vast majority of people will recover from long COVID. The vast majority. But people that are in that situation want to access the kind of, I suppose, the best intervention that you possibly think you can do, particularly around obviously respiratory, but not just only respiratory, but also conductive impairments, which is one thing. I think sometimes it's kind of lost in our and all the kind of intervention that we're talking about around non-COVID. Yeah, thanks, Deputy. I agree with you on all of that. The good news, as you say, is for the vast majority of people, a relatively short amount of rehab and health support leads to full recovery. I've met patients whose lives have just been turned upside down. I've met patients in my own constituency. I've met patients in Tala who are being treated in the long COVID clinic there. And they're just devastated. They've gone from healthy, active people in cases, healthy, active, you know, mums and dads to just not being able to get up the stairs, not being able to get to the shops. For those who it affects badly, it can be absolutely devastating. It's an evolving area, obviously. HICWA did a very thorough review last year to inform the model of care that we're putting in place. But this will be an evolving area. The HSE has a new survey in place. And the European Commission is also putting together a high-level informal network so that member states can learn from each other and update the service provision of people as we learn more. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, welcome, Minister. I think it's, as I said, I think it's important that the state kind of recognise that long COVID is very prevalent. And the vast majority of people, they will have a full recovery as long as they get the intervention. That's the most important thing. But just one major concern is in relation to waiting times, in relation to those that are suffering from long COVID. I think at the moment, there could be up to a year before they can actually get that intervention, which is probably not good at all. Because the evolution of long COVID, it can last longer than even a year. But generally, the symptoms, if someone is going to make a full recovery, will probably just go beyond nine months to a year. That's generally the kind of trend of long COVID. But the waiting times is a huge concern in relation to those that want to access them kind of multidisciplinary interventions that they should receive. We don't want anybody waiting long for this, for the obvious reasons. And part of what we're doing now with these new clinics around the country, staffing them up, we'll have six and it's a 14 clinics and then the St. James's facility as well. And remember, people can also get initial treatment from their GP, which is an important message. But where more specialist care is required, we're putting these new, we're putting these new services in place, they're still hiring up. And so we want to and our aim is to put in enough capacity that we can make sure people get quick access. Just for reference, just for reference, deputy, the long COVID clinics we have in place now are in St. Vincent's, Beaumont, Galway. The post-acute clinics are Galway, The Matter, Connolly. And then we have combined ones in Tala, James's, Cork University Hospital. And then there's two more coming, which I believe are in Limerick and Letterkenny. Thank you for more.