Lothian MSP makes plea to start planning post-coronavirus rehab now

Warning of dramatic increase in long-term lung conditions

Miles Briggs says there could be a dramatic increase in people living with long-term lung conditions

HEALTH boards are being urged to start planning now for rehabilitation support for people who have had severe cases of coronavirus.

Lothian MSP and Tory health spokesman Miles Briggs said Covid-19 was expected to lead to a dramatic increase in the number of patients managing what will possibly be long-term lung conditions and needing support for rehab and recovery.

He said: “When we look back we don’t want to see a situation where people are going home and not having the full recovery they could have had.

“Vital support, such as pulmonary rehabilitation, could benefit thousands of people in Lothian, as well as allowing the health board to make significant savings in the long term.”

The number of people in Lothian with lung condition Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease has increased by 70 per cent since 2011/12, to 19,167 people, a higher increase than any other region in Scotland.

And charity Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) is working with health boards, including NHS Lothian, to reform the way people with lung conditions access rehabilitation and support.

Mr Briggs said: “Especially given Covid-19 is a respiratory disease, we need to look towards the rehab services.

“Once people are out of hospital in order to get back to full health they need to have access to good rehabilitation.

“And helping people self-manage after they have been in hospital is really important too, so we need to make sure resources and people are put into supporting that.

“We don’t want to take our eye off the ball when it comes to that really important work. We need to help people recover to the very best we can.

“NHS Lothian must start putting plans in place now for breathing rehabilitation, so that patients who have had Coronavirus can access this treatment and start their recovery.”

Mr Briggs said the rehab could involve outpatient sessions but also support for people at home.

He said: “A lot of it comes down to the first few weeks when you are home you’re trying to do exercises - sometimes it’s very low level - and making sure it’s supported, not necessarily with people coming into you home but online support or through charities and some of the work they do and with peer support groups as well.”

CHSS has been working to support people living with chest, heart and stroke conditions during the coronavirus pandemic and warn of an increase in people with lung conditions once the crisis is over.

Chief executive Jane-Claire Judson said: “The devastating impact of coronavirus will see many survivors living with poor lung health, perhaps for the rest of their lives.

“They could be left dealing with breathlessness which can cause worry and anxiety, but there are rehabilitation programmes which can help.

“Physical activity is hugely important to recovery and it is key to living well with chest conditions.

“At the moment our local support groups which normally provide group exercise can’t meet up. We’re making sure that people can still keep active at home by sending out short videos and information on activities everyone can do.

“We’re also busy working with health boards across Scotland to make sure our services alleviate some of the pressures on the NHS.

“No-one fully understands what long-term effects coronavirus will have on people’s health – but we do know that support for rehab and recovery is going to be more important than ever. CHSS is urgently making plans and adapting our services to make sure we’re there for everyone who needs us, now and in the future.”

Mr Briggs said the NHS also needed to plan ahead more widely for the aftermath of the pandemic.

“A lot of operations and treatments have been cancelled. The government is in the middle of this Covid-19 crisis but as we look towards an exit strategy for the country the NHS will also need to plan how it can fully recover from this.

“At some point we’re going to have to have a focus on trying to catch up with some of the cancelled work - like patients waiting for hip and knee replacements.

“We will probably need to look at innovative ways of trying to get more people the care they need.”