16 November 2021

It is estimated 10% of Covid-19 survivors exhibit symptoms for a period of 12 weeks or longer, which is often described as long-covid or post-covid syndrome. People with long-covid often require additional support to rehabilitate and recover once discharged from hospital. To help manage this surge of new patients and support staffing levels, CNWL looked towards digital solutions.

Clinical Leads Heidi Ridsdale and Rachel Okin, who work in CNWL’s Long Term Conditions (LTC) Team as Highly Specialist Physiotherapists, worked with an app developer, patients and NHS partners to develop the Living With Covid Recovery app. It is an interactive platform that enables assessment and utilises a therapeutic approach to support those living with long-covid outside of hospital.

CNWL has been the first NHS Trust to pilot this app in community settings, and with over 80 patients onboarded to the app so far, the feedback has been positive. The data generated is also part of wider research with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), which will help understand the condition, how best to treat it and the challenges that recovery from this new illness poses.

This work is showcased as part of the NHS Providers Deliver Programme for 2021, with the annual conference beginning today (16 November). We join seven other NHS Trusts who have been selected to exhibit their work during the programme. 

To learn more about the Living With Covid Recovery app, view the NHS Providers Deliver Member Showcase.

You can also read more details about the app by clicking on this link.