Post-COVID syndrome (long COVID)
What is Post-COVID syndrome/long COVID?
The long-term effects of COVID-19 are often referred to interchangeably as long COVID and post COVID syndrome. Long COVID can affect people of all ages, with the most common symptoms including; extreme tiredness (fatigue), feeling short of breath, muscle aches, difficulty concentrating and joint pain.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE)/Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network/Royal College of General Practitioners guidance on managing long-term effects of COVID-19 (updated November 2021) gives the following clinical definitions:
- ongoing symptomatic COVID-19: signs and symptoms of COVID-19 from four to 12 weeks
- post COVID-19 syndrome: signs and symptoms that develop during or after COVID-19 and continue for more than 12 weeks and are not explained by an alternative diagnosis.
Over the past few years, the NHS in England has invested significantly in supporting people with long COVID. This includes setting up specialist post COVID services for adults and children and young people, developing resources and information to support self-management, as well as ensuring clinical teams are equipped to support people affected by the condition.
This page provides details of best practice guidance and resources for clinical teams to support people affected by the condition. If you are experiencing symptoms of long COVID please speak to your GP. You can also find more information on the NHS.uk website
Post COVID services
Since 2020, the NHS has established post COVID services across England for both adults and children and young people.
These multidisciplinary services include physical, cognitive and psychological assessments, diagnostic tests, and management or appropriate onward referral to post COVID rehabilitation, treatment and other support.
People who think they may be experiencing persistent or long-term effects of COVID-19 are advised to contact their GP, who will determine the appropriate course of action.
As of 1 April 2024, the following organisations provide post COVID services for adults:
East of England
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
- Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (Herts Valleys)
- East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
- Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
- Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust
- Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust
- Provide
- Whaddon Medical Centre
London
- Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Croydon Health Services NHS Trust
- East London NHS Foundation Trust
- Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Guy’s And St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
- Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Denmark Hill and The Princess Royal University Hospital)
- Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
- North East London NHS Foundation Trust
- St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Midlands
- Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust
- George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust
- Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care Trust (Malvern Community Hospital)
- Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust
- Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Nottingham CityCare Partnership
- Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Sandwell And West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust
- Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust
- South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
- The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust
- The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
- Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust
North East and Yorkshire
- Airedale NHS Foundation Trust
- Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
- City Health Care Partnership CIC
- County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
- Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust
- Locala Community Partnerships CIC
- Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
- North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
- North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
- Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust
- Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
- South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust
- York And Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
North West
- Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Bolton NHS Foundation Trust
- Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- East Cheshire NHS Trust
- East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
- Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
- Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
- Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust
- Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- West Lancashire Partnership (HCRG Care Group)
- Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust
South East
- Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
- East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
- First Community Health and Care CIC
- Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Isle Of Wight NHS Trust
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Solent NHS Trust
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust
- West Kent Primary Care
South West
- Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust
- Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Livewell Southwest
- Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
- Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Sirona Care & Health
- Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
- Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
- Wiltshire Health & Care
In addition to the adult services, a number of specialist paediatric post COVID hubs have been established across England to provide expert advice to local paediatric services supporting children and young people with long COVID.
As of 1st April 2024, the following organisations provide specialist paediatric post COVID services for children and young people:
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
- South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Solent NHS Trust
Clinical Post COVID Society
Recognising that long COVID remains a new and complex condition, NHS England and the British Society of Physicial and Rehabilitation Medicine (BSPRM) have established a joint initiative to share clinical expertise and best practice.
The Clinical Post COVID Society has been formed as a working group of the BSPRM, funded for the first 12 months by NHS England, to continue the work in the field of Post COVID.
A Clinical Leadership Group will be responsible for the overall management of the Society, reporting to the BSPRM. This group will be a multi-disciplinary team to ensure all views are represented, including representation from lived experience partners.
Long COVID educational materials for clinicians
The following is a list of resources that have been developed to help clinicians adapt to and learn about long COVID.
- COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of COVID-19– developed jointly by jointly by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and the RCGP
- NIHR: Researching long COVID
- Clinical Post COVID Society
- Commissioning guidance for Post COVID services for adults, children, and young people
- E-learning for healthcare: long COVID programme
- Long COVID: A framework for nursing, midwifery, and care staff
- Long COVID: Advice and resources for healthcare professionals in primary care
- Long COVID network on the FutureNHS platform(log-in required)