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

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:09 pm on 8 February 2022.

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Photo of Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan Labour 3:09, 8 February 2022

(Translated)

Thank you very much. I think that there is, clearly, an important role for GPs. That's the front door for the way that we operate in terms of the health system here in Wales. And, of course, then, they are referred on to the services that are now available in every health board area in Wales. That is the feedback that we've received from this report.

So, I think it is important to ask when people have tried to access these services. If they tried to access them before July, it's important that they go back now because these services are now available, whereas they weren't available before last July, because we have learnt from these experiences. It's only in July that this £5 million was available. So, if there are some who haven't received support before then—. And it was interesting to meet a number of people in Swansea on Friday, a number had caught COVID in December 2020. Of course, the service wasn't available at that point, but they are content now that they have received the treatment since this programme has been up and running. So, it's important that people go back if they have tried to access the service, because the system has changed, clearly. 

What is happening is that there are expert teams. That is what is happening now. There are teams, the GPs refer to these expert teams, they refer people to ensure that—. Mental health support is available; there might be issues with regard to exhaustion. There are all kinds of factors and all of those experts help out. So, the treatment now is entirely different to what it was previously. And certainly, we weren't just willing to learn then, but we are eager to continue to learn, because, as I said, this is a new condition and we don't know yet how omicron is going to have an impact on long COVID either.