3. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Long COVID

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:15 pm on 8 February 2022.

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Photo of Gareth Davies Gareth Davies Conservative 3:15, 8 February 2022

I thank you for your statement this afternoon, Minister. I think we've yet to fully comprehend the long-term impact that a COVID infection has on some people. What we do know is that, sadly, far too many people have been left debilitated long after the virus has left their system. Minister, emerging evidence has highlighted the similarity of brain scans in some COVID patients and those suffering some forms of Alzheimer's. What research has been undertaken in Wales to understand the causes and potential remedies for long COVID?

Rehabilitation is key to longer term recovery, so what assessment have you made of the capacity of such services in Wales, when considering allied health professionals—physios, OTs, speech and language therapists? How will the NHS in Wales manage referrals into those services? Some health boards such as my own, Betsi Cadwaladr, allow self-referrals, but others require GP interventions. So, what steps are you taking to avoid setting up a potential postcode lottery for care? And, with an estimated 2 per cent of the population believed to be suffering long COVID, what assessment has the Welsh Government made of the additional pressures that this could place on the social care sector in Wales? And finally, Minister, as we move from the pandemic to an endemic phase of this disease, what process will be put in place to monitor the longer term impacts of COVID infections on both the individual and our healthcare systems?