Motion no: 11
NICICTU notes that rehabilitation must be recognised as an unmissable part of Covid-19 recovery, and leaders and policy makers need to be taking urgent action to ensure that this is delivered.
Recent modelling and evidence suggests that a significant number of people who develop COVID-19 will require health and care input to support their recovery and that rehabilitation is central to the short and long term management of patients with COVID-19.
In December 2020 the Office for National Statistics released survey results which revealed that,
- 1 in 5 of those testing positive for COVID-19 have symptoms for five weeks or longer, and that
- 1 in 10 of those testing positive for COVID-19 have symptoms for twelve weeks or longer.
Congress further notes that in addition to those with COVID there are significant non-COVID rehabilitation needs as a consequence of the pandemic, including people whose health and function are now at risk due to pauses in planned care, delayed diagnosis and treatment, and deconditioning in those with long term conditions.
NICICTU is calling on Northern Ireland Executive to significantly increase investment in community rehabilitation services and confirms its support for a ‘right to rehabilitation’ for everyone who needs it.
NICICTU is further calling for the Department of Health, to publish as a matter of urgency, a Rehabilitation Framework to support service planning for the expected demand for rehabilitation and recovery of both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 populations in adults and children.
