Davide Ferreira, Power Plate UK

Coronavirus has presented the health and wellbeing industry with greater challenges than it’s ever faced before. But we’re already seeing green shoots of positivity; this is especially evident for public health referral schemes.

Many of the 166 schemes using our software are reporting that referral rates from healthcare professionals, which were at an all-time high even before lockdown, are bouncing back remarkably quickly as the NHS seeks to improve the nation’s health.

Furthermore, there is a new challenge coming our way and we, as a sector, must be prepared to step up and offer support.

‘Long COVID’ is now officially recognised as a condition and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is developing guidelines for doctors in dealing with it.

The Zoe COVID Symptom Study has produced figures suggesting 10 per cent of people who contract COVID-19 remain unwell after three weeks and 5 per cent continue to be ill for months.

No one is better placed to take on this challenge than our industry – in particular referral scheme providers.

Rehabilitating our nation from COVID-19 is going to require a team effort and we should be leading the charge. The gov.uk website is already recommending ‘patients recovering from COVID-19 should speak to their GP about local care pathways for support and assessment of any long-term symptoms or health problems’ and the government has also created an online recovery portal.

Funding should follow and we must engage, not for the opportunistic chance of short-term funding, but as a long-term delivery partner. Scheme providers and operators that can help should begin getting their offer ready now; get long COVID rehab schemes up and running right away, so that we, as an industry, have something to offer the NHS ‘off the shelf’. This is our chance to make a difference.