Long Covid support – The spokes and the hub
By Dr Julie Denning
It was half term, for me that means more time for kids and more time for getting through my ‘to read’ list. Amongst others was this article from Adam Saville, Editor at Cover Magazine. It highlights the need for early intervention support and a linking together of health and wellbeing resources for employees. We have seen first hand the benefits of doing this, so I wanted to write something to share our insights.
Alice:
Consider ‘Alice’; she is recovering from coronavirus that started in March, pre mass testing. She was never hospitalised or diagnosed as such. She is in fortnightly contact with her GP who writes a rolling fit note for her. She is suffering from extreme fatigue, chest pain, headaches, breathlessness, heart palpitations and more recently anxiety, frustration and low mood. She is starting to fear fatigue and wonders whether she will ever return to normal again.
It was half term, for me that means more time for kids and more time for getting through my ‘to read’ list. Amongst others was this article from Adam Saville, Editor at Cover Magazine. It highlights the need for early intervention support and a linking together of health and wellbeing resources for employees. We have seen first hand the benefits of doing this, so I wanted to write something to share our insights.
Current support:
At the moment, who is supporting Alice? From our experience so far, very few agencies. She may have seen various Consultants for tests, her GP sees her regularly, and her line manager may dial in periodically to check how she is getting on. Waiting lists for physiotherapy to help with exercise and fatigue management are long as are mental health support services. So, what are the options?
- Occupational health has suggested pacing advice, exercise support and emotional support.
- Her employer has investigated Group income support (GIP) as she is currently off work and has found out that the insurance company has a rehabilitation service;
- Her employer has also investigated private medical insurance options.
So suddenly, Alice’s options for support have opened right up.
Joining up the dots:
Her GIP insurance company has suggested contact with a vocational rehabilitation provider. This provider contacts Occupational Health to start working together. They have conference calls with the employer to explain the support they will be providing and where they fit into the whole picture. Services such as health coaching, mental and physical health and work support are seen as part of the vocational rehabilitation process. If physiotherapy or CBT is needed, the provider supports Alice to access their PMI product and choose a suitable clinician to help them to recover. All of this is managed by the provider, they are the hub if you like, with different agencies at the spokes of the wheel all working together to support Alice to recover and return to work.
Work and Health
Covid has given us the opportunity to put work and health firmly in the same sentence and the chance to pool resources that an employer has already purchased but didn’t realise the capability of. A bit like buying a TV and then suddenly realising that you can mirror your computer on it, link to the internet, pay your bills, listen to music and, Oh yes, watch Eastenders. This Cover article has put in focus the need to pool resources and intervene early.
Our call to your action? W2W now provides a vocational rehabilitation support service for those experiencing the symptoms of Long Covid. The service is designed to support people to self-manage their symptoms and support them with their return to work plans when ready. There is a strong focus on adapting to a new illness that has significant symptoms affecting quality of life. Support is provided to address psychological difficulties physical health needs and vocational rehabilitation, including employer engagement support.
If you have staff who have been affected by covid either as a result of Lockdown or the virus itself and don’t know what to do next to help them, give us a call. We can help you to join up the dots of all the services you currently pay for and make them work for you and your staff.
