Service marks six years since Covid pandemic

A special event to honour NHS workers and those affected by Covid six years after the pandemic has been held at a hospital in Leeds.

The service of reflection at St James's University Hospital gave local staff, patients and families a chance to "reflect on the sacrifices made" and recognise the ongoing impact of those living with long Covid.

There are an estimated 1.9 million people in the UK living with long Covid, a condition that has more than 200 symptoms with no cure.

Fran Haddock has had long Covid for three years and said there needs to be more awareness for those "living in this complete limbo".

Haddock, 35, said: "I'm still seeing new people getting long Covid and entering the long Covid community now.

"People are still getting sick long-term, like me with no treatment or cure and not knowing what my future holds."

She said there has been a "slight improvement" in her condition but she is still 95% bed-bound and only leaves the house occasionally.

"It's been completely unimaginable", Haddock, from Sheffield, added.

Jenny Davison is the clinical lead at the Leeds long Covid community rehabilitation centre and said sufferers are "not a very visible cohort of people".

"Often their symptoms, such as severe fatigue and pain, mean they're not accessing the community - so people might not be aware that there are so many people living with long Covid," she said.

"Treatment focuses around symptom management, so looking at how people can live as well as they can.

"However, we don't have a cure as yet and much more research is needed", Davison added.

Those who attended the event on Friday, which was organised by NHS Charities Together, listened to readings and music and wrote messages to loved ones on wooden hearts hung on a memory tree.

It came ahead of a Day of Reflection on 8 March where those affected by Covid are invited to mark the day "in ways that feel meaningful to them".

Dr Elizabeth Garthwaite, who worked on the frontline in Leeds during the pandemic, told the BBC medical staff they had to dramatically change the way they worked and due to strict visiting restrictions, were often there instead of family when a patient died.

"We were providing that emotional support that was so important, and those last conversations that we were facilitating between patients and families were such an important thing to do... but also very upsetting."

Garthwaite added: "It was really difficult but also a huge privilege to be involved at such a level."

NHS Charities Together estimates it has provided more than one million NHS staff with counselling, rest areas and other support and has helped more than 600,000 patients access better care.

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