A £5 MILLION package of support for those suffering with long Covid - dubbed 'Adferiad' - has been announced by health minister Eluned Morgan after visiting a rehabilitation centre in Newport

Ms Morgan visited the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales yesterday, Monday, to unveil the funding.

"Investing in services and a dedicated support programme for those recovering from the long term effects of Covid-19 is crucial as we begin the recovery from the pandemic," Ms Morgan has said after meeting with clinicians and patients.

MORE NEWS:

The funding will serve to expand the provision of diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and care for those suffering from the long-term effects of Covid-19, including long Covid in Wales.

Adferiad (Recover), which will be launched later this week to coincide with new guidelines surrounding the treatment of the long term effects of those recovering from Covid-19, will be reviewed every six months and underlines the fact the Welsh Government and NHS Wales recognise long covid as a serious and potentially debilitating condition.

Ms Morgan said that, just as important as the funding, was the need for people who have suffered from Long Covid to be "taken seriously".

"People want recognition that this is a serious, very debilitating disease," she said.

“It has been fascinating to learn about how we have been tackling the long term effects of Covid, including long Covid and the wider impacts of the pandemic in Wales, both from healthcare workers on the front line and those who have experienced this awful virus themselves.

“In Wales we are committed to personalised treatment and rehabilitation pathways to meet people’s needs, as we believe this is the most effective way to care for those experiencing the effects of Long Covid.

“We believe our programme will be key in ensuring we are leading the way in patient care.

“By investing in the staff, infrastructure, training and tools to deliver these services, we are showing our commitment to improving the diagnosis, treatment and care of those with long Covid.”

The package of funding and Adferiad programme will go towards

• Helping healthcare workers develop infrastructure to flexibly deliver services to help people recover from Long Covid;

• Provide high quality, evidence based training and digital resources to assist in diagnosing, investigating and treating Long Covid;

• Invest in digital tools which will provide data about service demand and capacity modelling and ensure the NHS helps people make the right treatment decisions.