In Wales, we aim to work together on the design of our services with those who use and deliver them. Our health professionals working with people who are experiencing these longer term impacts from COVID-19 are those best placed to understand people’s needs and what intervention will best meet those needs. Our health professionals are liaising closely with colleagues around the world to ensure that the latest evidence is informing our decisions and our responses. Additional resource and focus are currently required in primary and community care to ensure that we provide the right support and treatment to maximise people’s recovery. This also supports the strategic aim in 'A Healthier Wales' to provide appropriate and prudent care as close to home as possible.

I have spent time speaking with those experiencing long COVID, and one of the pieces of feedback—. And I was very pleased to meet with the newly established group at lunchtime today, the cross-party on long COVID. And the feedback I receive most often is that people don’t know how to access help, or, when they do ask, there's a possibility that the person that they're speaking with doesn't know what support may be available. So, in response to these concerns, alongside the Adferiad programme, we will this week launch the all-Wales guideline for the management of long COVID. This important guideline for health professionals offers the latest information for managing long COVID across the NHS in Wales, and is supported by a package of comprehensive education resources. This includes advice on the referral process into secondary care where needed and clear guidance on when to arrange diagnostics for people living with long COVID. Updates will be provided direct to users of the guidelines, and, when new evidence and changes to guidance emerge, so our guidelines will be updated. Most importantly, it will mean that across Wales health professionals will have access to the same information and treatment advice on this condition and will also have a clear guide on when and how to refer onwards for treatment and support. When people are referred onwards, it will be important to ensure, where necessary, that a co-ordinated response is put in place, giving the individual tailored support, ensuring multidisciplinary specialists are mobilised to support the individual, as is the model in the Aneurin Bevan health board.

For many people with long COVID, the symptoms they are experiencing can be managed at home, and some supportive advice and guidance is needed just to help individuals to understand how to help themselves and also give advice on how to monitor the progress they're making. That's why NHS Wales have launched the COVID recovery app, which has been downloaded around 6,000 times already, and is actively supporting people to manage their condition and monitor their progress of recovery.

I think it's worth being clear that this is not to replace professional advice, but rather to supplement it for those who do require the help of a professional, or allow people to help themselves and manage their own care where their symptoms are milder.

I want to reassure those experiencing ongoing symptoms who may be worried about the future that we haven't forgotten them. Professional advice and support is and continues to be available. As we start to relax our restrictions, it's important to remember that the effects of COVID-19 infection can be long lasting, and that's why it remains important that we work together to keep Wales safe. I have asked officials to revisit the Adferiad programme on a six-monthly basis to ensure that we're keeping abreast of the latest evidence and science. Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd.