Local residents are set to benefit from improved access to tests that will help assess the effects of ‘long COVID’, thanks to a mobile clinic and pre-booked appointments.
Dr Sharon Hadley, Clinical Lead at Mid and South Essex Partnership had this to say about the project:
“Building on the success of the Essex Vax Van, we are launching a similar outreach model to help reach under-served groups to make sure they get the right care for breathlessness linked to long COVD.
Many people are reporting ongoing breathing difficulties. With a decline in spirometry testing during the pandemic, the diagnosis of conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is estimated to have fallen by half in the past year*, tens of thousands of people across the country could be living with the serious condition without knowing.
In the same way that COVID-19 posed a greater threat to certain communities, we need to get out and find those most at risk and make sure people have the knowledge, care and treatment they need to avoid serious life limiting illness.”
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