Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of NHS pathways for patients with Long Covid, in particular the extent to which current service structures allow for an overall or holistic clinical view of the condition.

The commissioning of services for Long Covid is the responsibility of integrated care boards, which should be in line with NHS England’s commissioning guidance for post-COVID services, which sets out a blueprint for best practice in supporting people with Long Covid, and is designed to be adapted to local needs. The commissioning guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-commissioning-guidance-for-post-covid-services/

As of 1 April 2024, there were over 90 adult post-COVID services across England, along with an additional 10 children and young people’s hubs. In addition to the support provided in primary care, published data from April 2024 shows over 100,000 people have been seen by a specialist post-COVID service, with a further 350,000 follow up appointments taking place.

Additionally, the template service specification for mild and moderate myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), which is currently being developed in conjunction with NHS England, is set to include Long COVID. The template aims to improve pathways through care for patients with Long COVID, ME/CFS, and other related conditions.