AQW 5004/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 20/10/2022
Answered On Date: 25/10/2022
Priority Written: Yes

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health how he is ensuring that Long Covid patients in Northern Ireland have access to the same drugs and treatments as those in the rest of the UK.

Answer:

There are as yet no evidence-based drug regimes specifically to treat Long Covid. Knowledge of Long Covid is still evolving. The condition is complex with more than one body system affected. Individuals can have unique combinations of fluctuating symptoms. There is no specific diagnostic test for PCS and the published evidence base for interventions specifically aimed at a curative treatment is sparse at present.

High quality research is needed to inform future treatments and models of care. Until then, the current service is focussed on holistic assessment, exclusion of other significant conditions, identifying patients with breathlessness who may benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation and those who need onward referral to secondary or community services. This is complemented by signposting to self-management resources.