R EHABI L I TATION
The hidden victims of the COVID pandemic
Martin Usher, a member of the Major Trauma Group, argues that the need for increased access to rehabilitation services has never been more important as the NHS recovers from the impact of the pandemic. He calls for an injection of funding to address the backlog and the shortfall in investment.
As we leave an undeniably tough winter behind, it is very encouraging to have multiple vaccines at our disposal. The rapid progression of vaccine development has been nothing short of incredible, and the ongoing vaccination programme provides hope for the future of a return to some semblance of normality. While things are looking up, many people have been left behind by the pandemic, and one group that has been adversely affected over the course of the last year is major trauma victims. Individuals that suffer major trauma injuries rely on access to rehabilitation services, but such access has been limited throughout the course of the pandemic due to the strain COVID-19 has put on the NHS. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix to the burden the NHS is facing and following the recent rise in COVID-19 infections the harmful impact on both the NHS and major trauma victims is likely to increase. It is clear that rehabilitation services need serious assistance and we cannot afford to delay this any longer.
Of course, we have made progress in the fight against COVID-19. It goes without saying that we could not have come this far without the tremendous work of our National Health Service during the pandemic. The manner in which the NHS has been able to adapt in a time of genuine national need has been incredible. From catering
staff and cleaners to doctors and nurses, every member of the NHS has risen to the occasion and are entitled to our gratitude and praise. Yet, despite the incredible efforts of the NHS thus far, the hard work for healthcare workers is a long way from being over. In fact, it is just getting started. The current vaccination programme alone is a huge undertaking for the NHS, requiring
The most underreported victims of the COVID-19 pandemic are people that have sustained major trauma injuries. Due to the NHS backlog, this group of individuals will have been left waiting for vital rehabilitation, such as physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, or psychological therapy.
46 l
WWW.CLINICALSERVICESJOURNAL.COM
serious logistical expertise and collaboration among different stakeholders and groups. If that was not enough, NHS staff across the country also need to turn their attention to the backlog of operations, investigations, treatments, and therapies that were cancelled or put-on hold while the focus was shifted to fighting the pandemic. For context of the current scale of the backlog facing the NHS, statistics from NHS England suggest that at least 162,000 patients are waiting more than a year for routine NHS operations, the highest number for more than 12 years. In addition, the total NHS waiting list for routine treatments reached 4.4 million at the end of October 2020.1
Worryingly, the
backlog is likely to get worse before it gets better, following the introduction of another national lockdown in January. Prior to the introduction of the third national lockdown, care for non-COVID conditions was being
APRIL 2021
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
