The Clinical Post COVID Society is a joint initiative between NHS England (NHSE) and British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (BSPRM)
Welcome to our new professional society for clinicians and researchers working in post-covid condition and other post-viral conditions. This has been set up by BSPRM with support from NHS England. The aim of the society is to provide a professional network to help advance this field of medicine.
Post-covid condition or long covid is a novel multisystem condition that has affected at least 2 million individuals in the UK and over 200 million individuals worldwide. The current estimates are there are more than 750,000 individuals in the UK alone who have been experiencing symptoms for more than 2 years (long-term condition). The worldwide estimate for persistent long covid is estimated to be over 50 million.
Post-covid condition or long covid is a novel multisystem condition that has affected at least 2 million individuals in the UK and over 200 million individuals worldwide. The current estimates are there are more than 750,000 individuals in the UK alone who have been experiencing symptoms for more than 2 years (long-term condition). The worldwide estimate for persistent long covid is estimated to be over 50 million.
In the UK, there are currently more than 100 dedicated services for adults and 13 hubs for children and young people to provide care to individuals with moderate to severe long covid. These services are staffed by a range of disciplines, including medics, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, speech and language therapists, and dietitians. Services either act as integrated pathways across secondary care and community services or are community-based. There are similar clinics in other countries across the globe.
The new clinical society will:
Provide opportunities for networking and strategic leadership and guidance in the clinical management of long covid for adults and children and young people.
Have a diverse multidisciplinary clinical leadership team to reflect the varied expertise needed to care for patients with long covid.
Facilitate developing position papers on best practices and link them with guidelines being developed by various stakeholders, including the National Institute for Health and Clinical Care Excellence (NICE).
Host national and international courses and conferences in this field of medicine and develop educational and training packages for interested clinicians.
Undertake service evaluation projects and facilitate research in collaboration with academics and those with lived experience of the conditions.
Membership of the society will be open to:
All health and care professionals involved in the management and care of patients with long covid, post-viral conditions and those working with related chronic conditions such as ME/ CFS and Fibromyalgia.
Individuals who are researching the condition.
Those have responsibility for commissioning and managing long covid services.
Patients (individuals with lived experience of the condition) will form a working group to provide strategic direction to the work of the society.
Although the society will initially attract UK clinicians, it will be open to international colleagues and aim to become a global community of clinicians in this field.
The motto of the society is to advocate the much-needed approach of three Rs in this field of medicine – Recognition, Research (basic science and clinical management) and Rehabilitation.
Although the society will initially attract UK clinicians, it will be open to international colleagues and aim to become a global community of clinicians in this field.
The motto of the society is to advocate the much-needed approach of three Rs in this field of medicine – Recognition, Research (basic science and clinical management) and Rehabilitation.