Members of the respiratory research team working within the Long Covid Centre based at University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) have recruited over 1,000 patients into vital studies looking at treatment, rehabilitation and long-term effects of covid 19.
The studies include, UKRI PHOSP-COVID, NIHR Stimulate-ICP, NIHR Locomotion and UKRI PHOSP-rehab. The clinical long covid service was established in June 2020, and in the three years since, the team has treated 6,100 people overall and recruited one sixth of those into research studies.
This is thought to be the largest intake of adults with long covid into research studies in the country.
PHOSP-Covid is a consortium of University Hospitals of Leicester and University of Leicester researchers, working together within the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). It included clinicians and academics from 24 institutions across the UK, working together to understand and improve long-term health outcomes for patients who have been in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19.
The studies aim to increase understanding of different forms and symptoms of Covid 19 and establish best practices for treatment, rehabilitation and post-discharge care for patients.
The Locomotion, Stimulate and PHOSP-Rehab programs focus on treatment and rehabilitation of long covid specifically.
Patient and Public Involvement Lead, Linzy Houchen-Wolloff said: “The consortium working style of PHOSP has been a key strength to the study, integrating several patient charities, hospital and academic institutions to make its aims possible. Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) was integrated to the trial from the start. The team has created a successful example for other large multi-centre studies to follow and won a Clinical Research Network (CRN) award for an excellent example of collaborative working”. (See link below)
Lead co-investigator for the PHOSP study and honorary consultant physician at the University of Leicester, Dr Rachael Evans, added; “The team have done an exceptional job and we are one of the largest (if not the largest) UK clinic. “The BRC has enabled us to embed research into this new clinical service, so we have a bidirectional flow of knowledge – this was highlighted as a significant positive by our recent NHS-E midlands peer review.”
Find out more about PHOSP’s CRN award for collaboration here
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