How our service can help you
The Post-Covid service is for people who cannot shake off the effects of the virus months after initially falling ill. 
Symptoms are wide-ranging and fluctuating, and can include breathlessness, chronic fatigue, “brain fog”, anxiety and stress.
To find our more about our Post-Covid Service, watch our video here:
You can also view this video on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLEGZ2KDJ58
Referral details
What is Post-Covid Syndrome?
Post-Covid Syndrome (also known as ‘Long Covid’) is a varied condition that affects people in many ways and often varies from day to day. It is defined as a collection of symptoms that have developed since catching Covid and remain for more than 12 weeks.
To find out more about Long Covid symptoms, click here — What is Long Covid? to access more information.
The team
We have highly-skilled physiotherapists, occupational therapists, rehabilitation assistants, peer support workers and a team of experienced medical professionals including consultants and specialist GPs who provide care and support to our service users. Our clinicians will guide you through your individualised rehabilitation plan to empower and enable you to take charge of your own recovery.
What happens when you are referred to our service?
The first thing we will do is carry out an initial assessment with you to hear and fully understand how your symptoms are affecting you. This consultation is usually done by one of our specialist clinicians via video or face-to-face consultation. We recommend that you prepare for this appointment by reporting your symptoms on the C-19 YRS app - an online tool that we use as a resource and monitoring tool for all our patients. Doing so helps the clinician to prepare ahead for the session.
At the end of the consultation we will talk about and review your symptoms. The clinician will discuss with you the rehabilitation and management pathways available to support your recovery. You will have the opportunity to agree and decide on the appropriate pathway for you with support and guidance from the clinician.
What we offer
We offer a wide range of interventions:
- Ten weeks’ virtual self-management programme
- Six weeks’ fatigue management group programme
- Six weeks’ vocational rehabilitation group programme
- Six weeks’ virtual rehabilitation group
- Six weeks’ home rehabilitation programme
- Drop-in breathing workshops
- One-to-one respiratory and neuro-physio input
- One-to-one occupational therapy input
- Specialist GP input
Our clinicians will guide you through your individualised rehabilitation plan to empower and enable you to take charge of your own recovery. It is important to understand that not everyone will be offered the same input as each person experiences Long Covid differently. The clinician at your assessment will discuss with you and decide the most appropriate pathway for you and your symptoms.
How long will it take for me to get back to normal?
Recovery is individual and there is no timeline for when the symptoms will go. We understand the frustration of living with these symptoms. The symptoms can also vary, so not everyone is affected in the same way. It's important not to compare yourself to others. Our clinicians are experienced and can help you to manage the symptoms in the best way.
Are there any experimental treatments you can offer?
Currently, there are no evidence-based medical treatments for Post-Covid Syndrome. There is lots of information about new treatments available on the internet and social media, but these treatments have not been tested in vigorous scientific trials. Subsequently, NHS England has yet to approve any medical treatments for Post-Covid Syndrome; therefore, we cannot prescribe experimental treatments.
We are currently working in collaboration with Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Addenbrooke's) as a” participant identification centre” to support a research study led by the University of Leicester. Click this link here to find out more about the study: https://www.phosp.org/phosp-i/
There are vast amounts of ongoing research worldwide. If you have questions about any of these, you can speak to the team who will be happy to discuss this with you. The treatment offered by our Post-Covid Service follows the current guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
What can family, friends and employers do to help?
Sufferers of Post-Covid Syndrome can experience a wide range or fluctuating symptoms that can have a big impact on their lives. Naturally, this will often affect their family, friends, loved ones, their work and hobbies that make them the person they are. This can be really hard, but families, friends and work colleagues are vital in helping recovery.
A supportive and non-judgemental attitude is really helpful. It can be useful for family to understand the illness and we are therefore happy (with your consent) for family members to sit in with you for appointments.
Patient involvement and participation
We offer a patient forum as an avenue to give service users a voice about what they have experienced. The forum enables the Post-Covid Service to consult and engage with service users on service provision and delivery to get their feedback and to hear their opinion on future developments. Members of the forum can also act as expert patients when appropriate. For more information, click here: https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/involvement or here https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/participation-and-partnership-forum—
Here are some examples of changes we have made to our service following feedback from our service users:
| Feedback | What we did |
| Patients reported to us that they found completing and submitting answers to the outcome measures complicated and stressful. | We started using the C19-YRS app to complete outcome measures. Patients now complete the questionnaires via their smart phones or computers at their convenience. All the data is now stored and retrievable in one place. |
| Feedback | What we did |
| Patients wanted smaller and more interactive groups in the virtual programme. | We introduced breakout rooms to divide the patients into smaller groups with their own facilitator to have more opportunities to express their views. |
| Feedback | What we did |
| Patients wanted the self management videos sent ahead of time and not shown in the session itself. |
Videos now available to be watched from the time patients get access to the C19-YRS app. Patients can now take the time to watch the videos at their own pace and convenience. |
| Feedback | What we did |
| Patients told us they wanted guidance to regain fitness and feel normal again. |
We introduced physical rehabilitation programmes that catered to individual needs.
|
The information above is available in leaflet form, which you can print out here: Post Covid Service patient Info leaflet May 2024.pdf 3MB
Contact the service
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Post-Covid Service
Kingfisher House
Kingfisher Way
Hinchingbrooke Business Park
Huntingdon
PE29 6FHT 0330 726 0077
More information
- Post Covid Service patient Info leaflet May 2024.pdf 3MB
- Post Covid Service virtual management programme March 2024.pdf 3MB
Post-Covid Guides
Referral Information
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We welcome referrals from GPs and secondary care teams within Cambridgeshire. Baseline blood work and investigations are required; details of this are available on the referral form
To refer
Post Covid Service ( Long Covid ) referral form.docx [docx] 68KB
Carers Information
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A carer is anyone, including children and adults who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is unpaid.
At Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, we value the often life-long support carers provide and recognise them as equal care partners. We want to offer as much guidance and reassurance as possible, to help you in your caring role. You can find general information and support for adult carers, young carers and parent carers by following this link.
