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Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, responds to the Welsh Government press briefing and statement on Wales' long COVID programme

Responding to the latest Welsh Government’s press briefing and statement on Wales’ long COVID programme, Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said:

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been a number of people who have experienced long-lasting effects of COVID-19 weeks and months after falling ill. We now know that post-COVID syndrome, more widely known as long COVID, can result in a wide-ranging set of symptoms which impact individuals differently.

“The NHS and other partners are still learning about duration and individual impact and it’s still unclear why some people experience long COVID and not others.

“All health boards in Wales are providing integrated, multi-professional Covid recovery and rehabilitation services for patients who have sought help for their symptoms, referring people to specialist care services wherever needed.

“NHS Wales organisations have been engaging with their communities to shape and tailor these services, including the NHS Wales COVID-19 Recovery App, and ongoing learning will support the NHS to improve services further. This approach ensures those experiencing long COVID get the care and support for their particular symptoms and needs.

“It’s also important to remember that NHS staff have not been immune to the effects of long COVID and some have needed to take long-term absence. These staff are being supported by managers to enable them to ease back into work after long-term sickness.”