{"id":149,"date":"2023-11-02T02:34:27","date_gmt":"2023-11-02T02:34:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breatheon.co.uk\/?page_id=149"},"modified":"2025-05-03T19:48:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-03T19:48:15","slug":"providers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/breatheon.co.uk\/index.php\/providers\/","title":{"rendered":"Dorset Intelligence &amp; Insight Service 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"595\" src=\"https:\/\/breatheon.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image-7.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-491\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"989\" height=\"194\" src=\"https:\/\/breatheon.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image-8.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-485\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><strong> <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">In 2020 NHS Somerset introduced an innovative, patient centred Covid Recovery Service last December, designed to support patients across the county suffering from the effects of Long COVID. This service was part of an initiative by NHS England, funding 69 clinics across the country. There is growing evidence, that shows a number of people suffering from COVID-19, will go on to struggle with the effects of Long COVID, (a term used to describe those people who continue to experience symptoms such as breathlessness, chronic fatigue, brain fog, anxiety and stress) three months or more after having initially falling ill.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">The symptoms of long COVID are wide-ranging and fluctuating. However, many patients recover with support, rest, symptomatic treatment, and with a gradual increase in physical activity.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">While we have learned lots about Covid-19, we still need to learn more about its long-term effects, which we know can be debilitating, even for young, fit people, or those who did not go to hospital.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">The Somerset Covid Recovery Service will not only give us an opportunity to support patients with symptoms associated with Long COVID, but will also help us learn out more about Long COVID and find new ways to help people affected by it.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">Currently the Somerset COVID Recovery Service is only available through GP referral. It is important that anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 for more than 12 weeks speak to their GP about their COVID recovery, who will, as part of this conversation be able to review a patient\u2019s clinical needs. The multi-disciplinary Covid Recovery Service for patients with Long Covid symptoms, runs in our primary care service, as a virtual clinic. Patients can be referred into the service via their local GP.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">It will work alongside other health teams to develop a support plan that will help improve patient\u2019s health outcomes and quality of life.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">Rachael Rowe, Head of Long Term Conditions at NHS Somerset says \u201cWe know it is vital that people with Long COVID get the support they need. Our Covid Recovery Service enables us to draw on specialist services across Somerset such as mental health and physio support, in a co-ordinated manner to address a patients individual needs, ensuring they can benefit from a wide range of specialist advice and support.\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">Advice and support<br>Although there is no single treatment that cures symptoms associated with Long Covid, there is lots of advice on the Covid Recovery app for self-care that patients can take to help with their recovery \u2018Your COVID Recovery | Supporting your recovery after COVID-19\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">DiiS supports the COVID-19 response through an automated, live data system\u2013wide view of COVID cases, across acute, community and primary care settings, enabling us to better understand the spread of the disease locally and model capacity and demand. Analytics focusing on vulnerable or at risk populations, including those with mental health conditions, has helped clinical colleagues to identify specific groups who may benefit from a directed, pro-active approach. Using this data they have focused their workforce on these groups dependent on social as well as clinical need.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">Demographic markers such as gender and ethnicity have been added into DiiS tools to support Dorset&#8217;s response to the COVID pandemic.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">This has highlighted the health inequalities experienced throughout the pandemic. The analytics are interactive and filterable by a number of metrics including deprivation, such as most and least 20% deprived, as well as other vulnerabilities including risk of social isolation, unhealthy behaviours and active safeguarding flags.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">A live view of our flu vaccination status is informing the winter flu campaign informing comms strategies as well as helping clinicians to target hard to reach populations.<br>\u201cClinicians are delighted that the data doesn\u2019t give you answers. It helps you refine your questions.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">The amount of effort people gave to responding to those<br>questions \u2026 &#8220;I\u2019ve seen that happen in the past, but not at this scale.\u201d<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">In July 2020 we held our first online event; \u201cAn intelligent response to COVID through data-driven health systems\u201d.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">A mixture of presenters from University of Southampton,<br>Public Health Dorset and Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) kept the content varied and representative from across the region.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">In December 2020 we facilitated our first remote training session on Data Visualisation, which enabled a smaller cohort to share and discuss best practice agnostic of software \u2013 the principles of how to tell a story with data and understand the why, not just report the what.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\"><strong>Dorset Primary Care Network (PCN)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">Data Ambassadors and Dorset Integrated Care System (ICS) Intelligence Champions (and friends!) have continued in earnest. Calls rather than face to face meetings have enabled many more participants and facilitated the peer learning and sharing that are<br>the bedrock of these groups via screen share demonstrations and group discussion.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">Along with its many challenges, the emergence of COVID<br>in March 2020 brought opportunities and highlighted the<br>urgent need to collate timely system-wide data at speed,<br>in one place. DiiS became the obvious choice and our<br>system-wide COVID reporting has received accolades on a<br>national stage.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">Collating all COVID test data, along with all<br>other COVID-related data metrics across health and care,<br>presented in an automated live system\u2013wide view of<br>COVID cases, across all care settings, enables us to better<br>understand the spread of the disease and its impact on services.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">Available to all our partners, this has supported multiple workstreams over the last nine months, including Public Health Dorset\u2019s epidemiology modelling. Throughout the year we have developed analytics focusing on our vulnerable and at-risk populations.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">The DiiS tools have helped colleagues across the ICS to identify specific patient groups who may benefit from a directed, pro-active approach. For example, using live mental health data from primary care, we can view our population who have mental health conditions including learning disabilities and serious mental illness holistically.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">The data can be stratified and segmented by demographics, socio-economic factors, geography, ethnicity and associated long term physical health conditions.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">To support the health inequalities agenda we have been able to use the DiiS to provide interactive and filterable analytical tools with a number of metrics including deprivation, such as most and least 20% deprived, as well as other vulnerabilities including risk of social isolation, unhealthy behaviours and active safeguarding flags.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">Using this data in their COVID response, PCN colleagues designed a different intervention for each group using the breadth of workforce available to them including Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Social Prescribers and the voluntary sector.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide has-large-font-size\"><strong>Somerset Post-COVID-19 Assessment Service<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/nhssomerset.nhs.uk\/my-health\/my-local-health-services\/covid-19-recovery-services\/\">https:\/\/nhssomerset.nhs.uk\/my-health\/my-local-health-services\/covid-19-recovery-services\/<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">With the winter months fast approaching and the usual bugs and illnesses starting to circulate, it\u2019s a good time to remember that for some people, the impact of COVID-19 lasts longer than just a few days.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">In January 2023 the Office for National Statistics estimated that&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ons.gov.uk\/peoplepopulationandcommunity\/healthandsocialcare\/conditionsanddiseases\/bulletins\/prevalenceofongoingsymptomsfollowingcoronaviruscovid19infectionintheuk\/2february2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">around two million people<\/a>&nbsp;(3.1% of the population) in the UK were living with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome \u2013 around 1 in 30 people in the country.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">If Somerset had an average number of cases of people with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome, it could form a town the size of Wellington!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">You could have family members or colleagues living with this condition, with some even suffering in silence, concerned they won\u2019t be believed.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">People with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome may visit our trust as outpatients, or be admitted with other conditions, and some tell us when they mention their \u2018Post-COVID-19 Syndrome\u2019 symptoms, they are not believed or understood.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">There are approximately 200 symptoms people can experience, but the most common are:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>71% Fatigue;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>52% Difficulty concentrating (Brain Fog);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>48% Shortness of breath<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>47% Muscle aches.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">People also reported&nbsp;the impact it has on their daily life and their ability to work:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ons.gov.uk\/peoplepopulationandcommunity\/healthandsocialcare\/conditionsanddiseases\/bulletins\/prevalenceofongoingsymptomsfollowingcoronaviruscovid19infectionintheuk\/2february2023\">https:\/\/www.ons.gov.uk\/peoplepopulationandcommunity\/healthandsocialcare\/conditionsanddiseases\/bulletins\/prevalenceofongoingsymptomsfollowingcoronaviruscovid19infectionintheuk\/2february2023<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>77% Symptoms adversely affected day to day activities;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>19% Ability to undertake day to day activities had been \u2018limited a lot\u2019.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">By reading this article you can help to support people by pointing them in the right direction for help from our Somerset Post-COVID-19 Assessment Service, or simply acknowledging how they are feeling.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\"><strong>The development of our Somerset Post-COVID-19 Assessment Service and how it works<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">In early 2021 a series of Post-COVID-19 Assessment Services were developed across England as part of the government\u2019s response to the pandemic.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\">A total of 86 clinics were set up to offer Post-COVID-19 assessment, to identify people who were experiencing Post-COVID-19 Syndrome and to look at what support they needed, as well as providing an onward referral to a service that best meets their needs.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Somerset Post-COVID-19 Assessment Service <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>..is commissioned by the NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board (ICB) to provide a specialist assessment, diagnosis and rehabilitation for adults aged 18 years or over within Somerset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The service is for those who are experiencing signs and symptoms that developed during or following a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection, which continue for more than 12 weeks. The assessment is based on NICE guidelines and includes a personalised management plan to support recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A referral pathway has been developed between the service and a number of specialist or secondary care services \u2013 many of which are run by our NHS trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All patients referred to the service get an assessment with one of the Post-COVID-19 Specialist GPs working within the service \u2013 these may be via phone, \u2018Attend anywhere\u2019, or in person if requested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the service has grown, care pathways have become more individualised and tailored to each patient\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are now a number of treatment pathways offered by the service, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fatigue management groups;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Physio support for breathing pattern disorder;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cognitive screening and support;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Employment advice workshops;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 to 1 clinical input;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>direct access to Talking Therapies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The management plan given to patients includes advice, support and self-help resources, or a referral to specialist services for support or rehabilitation where appropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a patient has completed their assessment and management plan, they are discharged from the service back into the care of their GP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lorraine Perry, our lead for the service, said she was impressed with the way colleagues went above and beyond to set up a service that was completely new to healthcare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn many ways our Post-COVID-19 Assessment Service is a service like no other,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have had to set it up and then adapt and develop as we find out more about COVID-19.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our colleagues at NHS England (South West) oversaw the setup of clinics within the region, but due to the speed Post-COVID-19 Assessment services were set up across the country, with little evidence about the condition and no national guidance, there is understandably variation within services across England. This inevitably has an impact in the way they are run, and the experience of patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lorraine continues: \u201cOur team has been amazing, as despite the many challenges we have faced, the commitment our colleagues have shown to increase their understanding of this condition, and to provide a service that is responsive both to new evidence and patients\u2019 needs, is at the heart of what we do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI cannot thank my colleagues enough for their support and determination in the continued development of this service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen the service was set up in December 2020, we only had a single GP and colleague from the former Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group involved. By February 2021, we were able to begin offering 1:1 telephone assessments to patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe now have a service lead, administrator, two GPs with a special interest in Post-COVID-19 Syndrome, two specialist occupational therapists, a physiotherapist, a health psychologist, two specialist fatigue practitioner nurses, two health navigators, and a peer support group facilitator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re able to provide a more comprehensive self-management group programme, with our health navigators supporting patients to understand the services available to them, and how to access community and voluntary resources when needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSince February 2022, our peer support group facilitator has developed a number of online peer support groups, bringing people who experience Post-COVID-19 Syndrome together, to help reduce the sense of isolation that so many describe, as well as sharing information on the strategies and advice that are supporting them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis year we have added \u2018Moving Forward with Peer Support\u2019 meetings for those who are starting to navigate returning to work and life, while still progressing on the \u2018Post-COVID\u2019 journey \u2013 we\u2019re making some great headway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Colleagues in our Post COVID-19 Assessment Service have developed a&nbsp; website and leaflets to support clinicians and patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This includes information on the how to support patients when they have appointments or admission within the trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rachael Rowe, Head of Long Term Conditions at NHS Somerset says \u201cWe know it is vital that people with Long COVID get the support they need. Our Covid Recovery Service enables us to draw on specialist services across Somerset such as mental health and physio support, in a co-ordinated manner to address a patients individual needs, ensuring they can benefit from a wide range of specialist advice and support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><br>In recent months a live view of our flu vaccination status is informing the winter flu campaign and communications strategies as well as helping clinicians to target hard to reach populations, and we will shortly be doing the same for COVID vaccinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>To enhance this offer, we started the year with the ambition to enable clinicians to re-identify cohorts of their patients to support case finding, Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) support and other population health management initiatives via our DiiS tools. Whilst this proved to be one of the year\u2019s more challenging tasks, we eventually delivered the first live re-identification tool in the<br>country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>As the DiiS\u2019 response to the COVID pandemic evolved we started to get noticed by health and care colleagues across the South West region and beyond and were approached by many to explain its evolution. As a result, we are now hosting a national peer learning network, run in collaboration with NHSEI, and with participants from across the country, to share experiences as we mature as intelligence functions within ICS\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We have contributed Dorset case studies to national guidance on<br>how to build a successful intelligence function and had an audience with the Director of Emergency Response at NHSE, Professor Keith Willett, no less!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>As well as garnering attention across the health and care system, we have also generated interest from industry partners such as Microsoft, who have featured us in their Customer Stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>We are honoured to have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Featured in the Association of Professional Healthcare Analysts<br>(AphA) magazine;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Headlined at Dorset\u2019s Digital Futures Festival;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Participated in a global PHM summit;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shortlisted for the Institute of Collaborative Working (ICW)<br>Collaborative Working Awards;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nominated for the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Healthcare<br>Excellence Awards;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nominated for the Skills for Health Our Health Heroes Awards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2020 NHS Somerset introduced an innovative, patient centred Covid Recovery Service last December, designed to support patients across the county suffering from the effects of Long COVID. This service was part of an initiative by NHS England, funding 69 clinics across the country. There is growing evidence, that shows a number of people suffering [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-149","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/breatheon.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/149","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/breatheon.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/breatheon.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breatheon.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breatheon.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=149"}],"version-history":[{"count":41,"href":"https:\/\/breatheon.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/149\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1270,"href":"https:\/\/breatheon.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/149\/revisions\/1270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/breatheon.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}