"Overall, disappointed with the service"

Thank you for taking the time to offer your feedback on the Post Covid Syndrome (PCS) Service. I am happy to hear that the staff made you feel welcome and at ease during the rehab programme, as I appreciate how daunting attending groups can be.

PCS as a condition is still fairly new, therefore the evidence to explain its cause and recommended treatment is still evolving. The team is continuously keeping up to date with the ongoing research and advice so that we can offer the best service possible.

From your feedback it would appear that PCS has had a significant impact on your quality of life over the past two years. Therefore I am sorry to hear that you did not feel the same benefit that other service users have felt from completing the group.

Prior to attending the groups, all participants are sent a leaflet outlining the nature of the programme and what to expect. However in light of your comments, we will review this document and consider adding more detail surrounding the level of exercise involved.

Despite having a set exercise programme, each exercise can be modified to increase or decrease the level of difficulty. Staff facilitating the groups would have given all members the opportunity to modify the exercises to suit their own ability. However, I understand that in a group setting, some people may feel pressure to maintain the same level as others. This is why the programme also offers the option of not attending the exercise element, which some service users who experience PEM have availed of.

When devising the rehab programme, we sought feedback from our service users to determine whether the programme should be offered virtually or face to face. The majority of service users opted for face to face as they felt this would allow for better social interaction and rapport building. However, we are planning to run a series of virtual "mop up sessions" in the coming months for those who were unable to attend the education sessions.

I understand that maintaining concentration for the duration of the group can be extremely difficult for people with PCS. Therefore, we do have a collection of resources which are usually emailed out to group members in advance of each educational presentation. This unfortunately did not occur during the most recent group due to staff sickness. However I assure you that we are currently in the process of rectifying this.

There are some service users who will find the six week rehab programme sufficient in helping them to manage their PCS symptoms. Therefore they will not require further input from the service. However, we acknowledge that there are some people who may need further guidance and one to one support from specific professionals within the team. As you have reported ongoing symptoms, I would hope that you have highlighted in your satisfaction questionnaire, the need for further input. If not, I would encourage you to contact the service to discuss a follow up appointment with the most relevant professional.

The PCS service is still in it's infancy, which is why we welcome and encourage service user feedback. I will share your comments with all team members and we will take these into consideration when implementing future changes.

Many thanks

Ellen, Occupational Therapist

Please be advised that since publishing this original response, the PCS service has made the recommended changes to the rehab programme leaflet so that service users are fully aware of what the programme entails. We have specified that the exercise component is optional and can be modified to suit the needs/abilities of each service user. We hope this will prove effective in managing the expectations of future attendees.