Patients struggling with the long-term effects of coronavirus will be able to recover in a new Hampshire clinic.
Long-term sufferers will be able to receive treatment from a newly launched service at Lymington New Forest Hospital. The service is provided by NHS England, part of a £10m initiative funding 70 Long Covid-19 facilities across the country. Patients need to be referred to the clinic as the site is unable to give walk-in appointments.
Clinical director Robin Harlow, who runs the Lymington hospital for primary care development at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, commented,
“These new clinics not only give us an opportunity to support those in need but will also help us learn more about Long Covid and find new ways to help people affected by it.”
Although a large portion of sufferers recover quickly from the virus, research shows that almost 1/10 feel ‘seriously unwell afterward’ with symptoms including fatigue, breathlessness, joint pain, and muscle aches. Neurological issues are also common, with brain “fog” – a loss of memory and concentration – being cited as one of them, alongside hearing and eyesight problems.
The first phase of the pandemic resulted in 60,000 people across the UK suffering from Long Covid. The Lymington clinic is determined to help people who are still feeling ill after 12 weeks of contracting the virus. They have been asked to check their symptoms listed on the NHS website before requesting to be referred by their GP. Appointments are held virtually unless the patient’s case is deemed to be ‘severe’.
Pennington, Oakhaven Hospice in Lower Pennington Lane is taking measures to help hospitals left struggling to cope with the pandemic. A spokesperson has noted,
“Rising levels of infection across our area have resulted in the need for additional beds in all our hospitals.”
“To assist with this demand Oakhaven, in partnership with West Hants Commissioning Group, will be opening four additional bedrooms to patients who are Covid-negative and medically fit for discharge from acute hospitals, but who still require additional support.”
“We recently put out a social media plea for additional help with staffing these four rooms.
“We would like to say a very big ‘thank you’ to everyone who got in touch. We were overwhelmed with your support and offers of assistance.”
