THE first dedicated assessment and treatment clinics for patients with long Covid have been launched across the North of Ireland.
Patients are to be given advice on managing the condition and referred to other services where necessary.
Health Minister Robin Swann said establishing the clinics had been a priority.
Last Friday, October 29, officials had warned the service would be delayed until the end of November.
The assessment clinics were initially meant to be in place by the end of October.
But on Monday morning, November 1, it was announced that they would be accepting referrals immediately across all health trust areas, including the Western Trust which covers Derry.
Patients must be referred to a clinic either by their GP or by a hospital consultant.
If a patient’s GP considers their symptoms to be a result of long Covid it will not matter whether or not they have previously tested positive for the virus.
Mr Swann said people suffering from long-term effects of Covid-19 will be offered treatment including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and nursing.
“The clinics will allow people to have a comprehensive assessment of their condition and will help them access the services and expert advice they need to support them in their recovery,” he said.
The minister said work was “well advanced” on further services for long Covid sufferers, including a pulmonary rehabilitation and dysfunctional breathing service for those with significant respiratory symptoms after contracting the virus.
“I will continue to review services on an ongoing basis to ensure the best possible help and advice is available for those suffering from post Covid-19 symptoms,” he added.
Long Covid clinics were opened across England in November 2020.
In the UK, long Covid is broadly defined as a condition that develops during or after the initial Covid-19 infection; continues for more than 12 weeks; and its symptoms cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis.
More than 200 symptoms have been linked to the illness but some of the main symptoms are extreme fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog (neurological and memory loss), heart problems and severe headaches.
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