What challenges does Susannah Thompson face due to long Covid?

Susannah Thompson, a former GP, struggles with conversation, has lost thinking ability and short-term memory, and uses a wheelchair due to her condition.

How many people in the North East are estimated to have long Covid?

Official figures from 2023 estimated that 94,000 people in the North East had long Covid, with 64,000 experiencing symptoms for more than a year.

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Doctor's Career Lost to Long Covid

Q: Why are long Covid clinics in the North East and Cumbria closing?

Health officials stated that demand for long Covid clinics has reduced and patient needs have changed, leading to a shift towards symptom-guided specialist referrals.

1 Mar

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Summary

Long Covid ended a doctor's career, leaving her unable to work.
Dedicated long Covid clinics in North East are closing this month.
Thousands in the North East have long Covid and feel neglected.

A former GP, Susannah Thompson, 46, has had her career ended by long Covid, contracted in 2020 while treating patients. She now uses a wheelchair and suffers from cognitive impairment, memory loss, a heart condition, pain, skin issues, and breathing problems, leaving her unable to work.

Thompson feels that politicians and the NHS are forgetting the ongoing struggles of long Covid sufferers. Her comments coincide with the planned closure of the last dedicated long Covid clinics in the North East and Cumbria this month, a move patients and a local MP have criticized.

Official data from 2023 indicated that approximately 94,000 individuals in the North East were affected by long Covid, with 64,000 experiencing symptoms for over a year. This region reported the highest prevalence of the condition.

Health officials state that demand has decreased and patient needs have evolved, leading to a shift towards specialist referrals based on symptoms. However, critics argue that existing services are being dismantled and urge a reconsideration of these decisions. Research into potential treatments continues, but funding is required for clinical trials.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.