Young people describe ‘battle’ to access NHS care | Global News Avenue

Young people who have long-term symptoms of debilitation caused by Covid describe the feeling of being abandoned and must “fight” to gain support from the NHS.

Kaylee, 17, was a once promising gymnast who wanted to represent her country, developed the virus during her 12th birthday, but still had symptoms including dizziness and shortness of breath that led her to miss school and give up on the sports she liked.

According to the National Office for Statistics, 2 million people in the UK have been around for a long time.

The Welsh government said it increased the available funds to support people experiencing the long-term health effects of the virus.

Kaylee, from Cross Keys in Caerphilly County, vividly recalls three days of bedridden days when a dizzy spell struck her and hit her head.

She said doctors initially failed to identify the cause of her and were not diagnosed until she was 13 years old.

Her symptoms include “dizziness, sometimes rapid breathing, dullness, chest pain and sometimes brain fog in the ribs,” she said.

Kaylee’s mom Sarah said the initial physical and mental support Kaylee received from the post-construction restoration service of his local health board was very good.

But she said Kelly hadn’t seen an NHS doctor in two years.

“I tried to get in touch recently and I didn’t get a response,” Sarah said.

“I think (the clinician) thinks they do everything they think they can do – she has got it, and it’s really disappointing.”

Kaylee’s parents have been paying for her to receive professional oxygen therapy in Bristol for the past five years, which they say has helped Kaylee’s breathing and energy levels.

“I can never predict that we will still be here, and I still don’t know when or if she wants to fully recover,” Sarah said.

Sarah said she believes a “thorough investigation” should be conducted on long-term common causes, not just treating symptoms.”

“The impact on children is actually lacking research and does lack of support for children compared to how the impact on children affects adults,” she said.

“I think we have no choice here – it’s horrible.

“We’ve been five years now and I still have to see her suffering, miss things, and worry about how she’s going to handle her future.”

Aneurin Bevan Health Board said he was sorry Kaylee’s mother was not satisfied with the care she gave.

It said it was launching a symptom management service on April 1, which will provide personalized care for patients. The board said that online resources are already available.

“Over the past 18 months, we have changed services to improve access and ensure timely support with long-term shared children, parents, caregivers and trustworthy adults,” a spokesperson said.

Most people who catch Covid feel much better in a few days or weeks, most people fully recover within 12 weeks, According to NHS.

But for some people, the symptoms can last or develop longer. This is called a long scroll, or COVID-19 syndrome.

The most common symptoms are extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog, heart pal, dizziness, joint pain, and muscle soreness.

There are no official figures for the long-term persistent young people, but the Welsh government estimates that around 94,000 children and adults live in this situation.

Bethan, 20, of Pontardawe of Neath Port Talbot, was 17 years old and only started the sixth model when he captured Covid in 2021.

She said she suffered from all the “classic” symptoms of a severe cold, but did not recover after two weeks.

Bethan, who has asthma, described how many days she was unable to lift her head for several days and said her Type 6 attendance was affected.

Eventually, she was diagnosed with a long-term common event, but said it was a “fight” to get support, adding that due to her age, she belonged “between” adult and pediatric services.

With the help of her teacher, Besson eventually gained a place in college.

She said her symptoms were still “up and down” and now she believes she has a disability.

“I’ll have symptoms of crashes, maybe a week, two weeks, or I might have a symptom every day – otherwise I’ll get nothing.”

She said she was determined to succeed.

“I’ve always had an attitude that I’m not going to let it stop me from doing what I want to do,” she said.

The Swansea Bay University Health Commission said Besson felt he had not received proper support through his condition and was “very sorry”.

A spokesman said that since Bethan is now 20 years old, she can refer her to the Health Commission’s long-term adult clinic through her GP.

“We are constantly collecting data on the effectiveness of treatment and asking patients for feedback to help us develop new services and reshape existing services in the future,” the spokesperson added.

The charity’s long-term Covid children have called on the Welsh government to provide fence money for professional long-term services.

It said that establishing a “surveillance program” could also help to understand exactly how many people in Wales are affected.

“The services that GPs refer to are mainly pediatrics, so no doctor is familiar with long-term covid, and no doctor is able to put pieces of the puzzle together,” a spokesperson said.

The Welsh government said funding for people supporting the long-term impact on Covid has increased to £8 million, which will be repeated.

“The Health Commission provides personal and tailor-made support to people of all ages through the Recoveriad program,” a spokesperson said.

“Multiprofessional and community-focused services are designed to align with guidance published by the National Institute of Clinical Effectiveness (NICE).