LAST UPDATE | 10 Nov 2022

THE MATER HOSPITAL has confirmed that its Long Covid Clinic is due to close in December.

In a statement to The Journal, a spokesperson said: “The Mater Hospital has operated a Long Covid Clinic since June 2020 in response to patient needs in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The Mater Hospital spokesperson added that the “HSE Interim Model of Care for Long Covid recommends the development of six Long Covid clinics and eight Post-Acute Covid clinics”.

However, the Mater Hospital was not selected as one of the designated sites to receive funding for a Long Covid clinic.

As a result, the hospital’s spokesperson said its Long Covid clinic is due to close in December and patients will be referred to the national Long Covid treatment facilities.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson said “the Mater Hospital is willing to extend the operation of its Long Covid clinic into the new year if required”.

“The Mater is amenable to the continued operation of a Long Covid clinic at the hospital upon reconsideration of the HSE’s plans regarding the funding of Long Covid care,” the statement added.

In a statement to The Journal this evening, the HSE said that to date, four of six Long Covid Clinics and five of eight Post-Acute Covid Clinics have been established. 

The Long Covid Clinics currently operational include St Vincent’s University Hospital, Beaumont Hospital and University Hospital Galway. 

The Post-Acure Covid Clinics operational include University Hospital Galway, Mater University Hospital and Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown. 

Both Tallaght University Hospital and St James’ Hospital are operating combined Post-Acute and Long Covid Clinics. 

The HSE said it is “working with Letterkenny University Hospital and Limerick University Hospital to have a more definitive timeline around their anticipated launch dates”.

“Where staff have yet to be recruited to Long/Post-Acute Covid Clinics, patients are being seen by existing staffing and resources within the hospitals,” the HSE said. 

“Post-Acute Covid Clinics aim to ensure that patients who were in hospital for Covid-19 treatment and have recovered, are followed up in a timely and appropriate fashion taking into account factors such as disease severity, likelihood of long term respiratory symptoms and functional disability. Post-Acute Clinics are led by respiratory consultants,” the HSE said.

It added: “Long Covid Clinics are a specialist service for patients with signs and symptoms that develop during or after an infection consistent with Covid-19, continue for more than 12 weeks and are not explained by an alternative diagnosis. Long Covid Clinics are led by infectious disease consultants.”

The tertiary Neurocognitive Clinic in St James’s Hospital is led by a Consultant Neurologist with background in Neurocognitive Disorders. This clinic is accepting referrals from Long Covid and Post-Acute Covid Clinics around the country.

Speaking yesterday, the Social Democrats’ co-leader Róisín Shortall labelled the decision to close the Mater’s Long Covid Clinic “a new low in the Government’s pandemic response”.

“Hospital management has been forced to take this decision as the Government has starved its facility of funding,” said Shortall.

She added: “In July, the clinic submitted a business case to receive Government support, but the Minister for Health has failed to engage with clinicians.

“At a time when so many patients are languishing on waiting lists for treatment for the debilitating impacts of Long Covid, it is difficult to understand why the Minister has run down the clock on this vital service.”

The Social Democrats’ co-leader also questioned with Health minister Stephen Donnell has “allowed the longest running Long Covid clinic to close, especially one which has expertise in the neurological impacts of the condition”.

“Alongside a Long Covid plan that only funds one neurologist for the whole country, this latest development raises serious questions about the Government’s response,” said Shortall.