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<p>The Government does not currently routinely record the total amount of people with
long COVID or new cases identified. However, the most recent data from the Office
of National Statistics shows that for the 4-week period ending 5 March 2023, 1.9 million
people, or 2.9% of the population, in private households in the United Kingdom reported
experiencing long COVID symptoms; 83,000 people first had, or suspected they had,
COVID-19 less than 12 weeks previously, 1.73 million people had symptoms for 12 or
more weeks, 1.3 million people for at least a year and 762,000 for at least two years;
and 1.5 million people reported day-to-day activities adversely affected. Of these,
381,000 reported that their ability to undertake day-to-day activities had been limited
a lot.</p><p>Whilst no specific assessment has been made of the percentage of long
COVID sufferers who are able to receive specialist treatment, activity data released
by NHS England shows that, for the month of December 2023, there was a total of 1,104
initial specialist assessments completed during the month and an additional 8,696
follow-up appointments were carried out. In total, since the data was first published
in July 2021, 101,998 patients have received an initial specialist assessment. A further
347,837 follow-up appointments have taken place.</p><p>NHS England has invested £314
million to expand long COVID treatment in the National Health Service and rehabilitation
services, establishing 100 long COVID services for adults and 13 specialist paediatric
hubs for children and young people. These assess people with long COVID and direct
them into appropriate care pathways which provide appropriate support and treatment.
Commissioning of post-COVID services will transition from the long COVID national
programme to integrated care boards by the end of March 2024. Funding for long COVID
services in 2024/25 is expected to be allocated based on the 2023/24 distribution.</p><p>The
NHS and wider scientific community are working at unprecedented pace to better understand
long COVID, supported by £50 million in research funding.</p>
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