More than 70 people across Lothian living with Long Covid are set to benefit from a new digital tool that provides ‘seamless’ support referrals and personalised self-management advice.

For the first time, GPs and other clinicians in the area will be able to use a new ‘ground-breaking’ digital platform to automatically refer patients to long covid support services offered by Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS).

Lothian-based GP Amy Small, who played a part in developing the new system and is also living with Long Covid herself, says the pilot represents a “big breakthrough” in the care of people with the condition:

“As a GP and someone living with Long Covid this new digital system will be hugely beneficial to patients and primary care. 

“It’s a big breakthrough in integrated care. It gives patients direct access to support to help manage their condition. 

“GPs will also now be able to seamlessly refer their patients through to the charity’s Long Covid Support Service which provides one-to-one support and advice from experienced advisors who can provide more time to the patients than GPs can.”

MyTailoredTalks has been jointly funded by NHS Lothian, CHSS and the NHS Lothian Charity to the tune of £120,000, and provides a ‘seamless’ way of GPs referring patients to CHSS’s Long Covid Support Service.

A patient profile, which is available as an app, will also provide ‘bite-sized’ personalised information to help patients manage their symptoms at home.

A total of 26 GP practices across Lothian are taking part in the pilot, but the team behind the project is appealing for the ‘innovative‘ digital platform to be expanded beyond Lothian so everyone in Scotland can get better access to support.

Allan Cowie, interim chief executive at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, says MyTailoredTalks will improve care for those living with Long Covid and relieve pressures facing GPs:

“For the past two years we’ve been campaigning alongside people living with Long Covid to ensure that systems are in place to help them easily access the care and support they desperately need.

“This system has the potential to transform access to wraparound care through GP services.

"It has been developed with clinicians and people with Long Covid and we want it to be adopted right across the country as soon as possible.

“It not only makes this process easier for people living with Long Covid, but it helps to alleviate some of the pressure that primary care is under by allowing clinicians to easily refer their patients into a service they can trust.”

More than 150,000 people across Scotland are thought to be adversely affected by symptoms more than four weeks after being infected with covid-19, including breathlessness, fatigue and chest pain.

The Scottish government has begun distributing a £10m of Long Covid support funding to NHS boards, but says ‘it is for each NHS board to develop and deliver the best models of care appropriate for their local population’.

Humza Yousaf, the Health Secretary, says the government has invested more than £460,000 to enable CHSS to deliver its nationwide Long Covid Support Service:

“I welcome this collaboration and investment. This kind of digital innovation is just one example of the flexible way in which our NHS boards across Scotland are adapting to meet the needs of people with Long Covid.”

"We are spending £3m this year to support NHS boards like NHS Lothian to develop and deliver the best models of care appropriate for their local population’s needs. 

"I look forward to seeing the full results of the pilot exercise and we are committed to working closely with Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland to share the learning generated from it to support the sustainability of our health services."  

 

Read more: Opinion: Welcome to the new normal?; Leanne’s story – living with long covid; Researchers: Time for action on long covid

 

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