Minutes:
The Chairman welcomed Mark Cheung – One Bromley Programme Director (SEL ICB), Rachel Perry – Head of Integrated Services (SEL ICB) and Lindsay Pyne – Head of Adult Therapies (BHC) to the meeting to provide an update on the Post-COVID syndrome services.
The One Bromley Programme Director informed Board Members that the Bromley Post-COVID services were an integrated system, with acute service delivered by the PRUH and community services provided through Bromley Healthcare with input from primary care and voluntary sector colleagues.
The Head of Adult Therapies advised that the Post-COVID community pathway provided a high quality and effective services for those diagnosed, and those still living with Post-COVID syndrome. The service would continue for the current financial year and the staffing within the community services had been expanded with additional roles added. The service continued to receive referrals, with an increase having been seen over recent months – patients were assessed within a week of referral. The service received approximately 5 referrals per week and the current total caseload stood at around 150 active patients. The 11-week programme, living with Post-COVID syndrome, continued to be delivered – feedback was gathered from participants and the contents of the programme was regularly amended to reflect this. A project had also recently been undertaken looking at patients who had received the basic service and 50% were still living with Post-COVID syndrome having been discharged – these patients had been brough back into the case load and were receiving 1-2-1 interventions. There were two peer support groups located in different area of the borough, which were very successful, and now being supported by ‘patient champions’. Representatives had attended the second Long COVID Conference where a peer support poster had been presented, and they would be participating in a number of upcoming events.
The Head of Integrated Services provided feedback on behalf of Dr Lynette Linkson – Consultant at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust:
- there were some vacancies within secondary care service, but a new therapist had been appointed from June 2024.
- assessments were being completed in the community, with fortnightly multi-disciplinary team meetings taking place.
- patients can either be seen in the community or secondary care service for follow up treatment, as appropriate.
- in February 2024, the COVID Recovery Puzzle films had been launched across SEL covering themes to deal with particular conditions: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcaVWbSw-0R1-Cactd7LZy-hM6HjR1RYI
- a workshop event had recently been held across SEL to consider the future of Post-COVID services, attended by a range of representatives including healthcare professionals and service users. The aim was to look at ways to make services more accessible and a number of themes identified – a follow up session would be taking place on 9th May 2024.
It was noted that a full report on the Post-COVID pathway would be provided to the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting on 27th June 2024 and would include information on patient feedback and future service development plans. The One Bromley Programme Director highlighted that this service was continually evolving as more knowledge was gained and they were linking with SEL networks. One of the challenges was that funding was on a yearly basis, currently until March 2025, and they wanted a much longer term strategy to develop services with all the agencies involved. Members suggested that other areas of challenge be addressed within the report, including whether the service could meet the needs of the community and any research/treatment available. The One Bromley Programme Director said they could provide information on patient journey and the interventions provided. In terms of capacity for community services they were meeting targets/times.
In response to questions from the Chairman, the Head of Adult Therapies confirmed that the service was for patients diagnosed with Long COVID syndrome. It was not for patients who had suffered a stroke, developed lung fibrosis, a cardiomyopathy or other conditions – these would be treated by specialists in the specific conditions and not in the Long Covid Clinics. In terms of new patients entering the services, there was a 50:50 ratio of people with recent infections, and those that were infected at the beginning of the pandemic and did not realise they had Long COVID who were now being referred.
In response to questions from Board Members, the Head of Adult Therapies advised that a diagnosis was required for referral into services, however they had recently started to accept referrals from other staff within the organisations. The possibility of self-referral was also beginning to be discussed. TheOne Bromley Programme Director highlighted the importance of signposting – there were lots of resources available for people to use and this needed to be made known to patients.
The Chairman thanked the One Bromley Programme Director (SEL ICB), Head of Integrated Services (SEL ICB) and Head of Adult Therapies (BHC) for their update to the Board.
RESOLVED that the update be noted.