Patients who are a greater risk of becoming seriously unwell from COVID-19 have praised a new service designed to aid their recovery from the virus and keep them out of hospital.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the biggest acute hospital trusts in England and is part of the team offering the service to patients from across the largely rural county.

Hospital patients admitted with COVID-19 have been able to have anti-viral treatments in Lincolnshire since September 2021. These help boost a patient’s own immune system so that they are able to fight the virus sooner and prevent more serious symptoms and long term side effects.

Just before Christmas a new service was launched in the county, where patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who have underlying health conditions that mean that are at an increased risk of being admitted to hospital, can now have the anti-viral treatment as an outpatient.

They are referred to their service by their GP or NHS111, assessed by a nurse and a consultant to see if they are suitable for the treatment and then invited to attend an appointment at Lincoln County Hospital. They are then put on a drip and the anti-viral is delivered straight into their blood stream so that it can start working straight away.  If they are assessed and unable to have the anti-viral intravenously, they may be offered an anti-viral tablet.

The Trust’s Medical Director, Dr Colin Farquharson, said: “In the first month more than 130 patients from across the whole of Lincolnshire have benefitted from this new outpatient service. The aim is to get these patients the treatment they need as soon as possible to prevent them from becoming seriously unwell from COVID-19. The feedback has been so positive and is testament to the hard work of everyone involved in helping to set up and run the service. It is very much a team effort that sees colleagues from across the Trust working with GPs, Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust and other healthcare partners from across the county.”

Des Davis owns Margaret’s Tea Rooms in Lincoln and believes the team saved his life. Des, 54, has a condition that means he has a compromised immune system.

He said: “I had started to feel unwell and it got a lot worse, very quickly. I did a lateral flow and also a PCR test and less than 24 hours later I knew I had COVID. By this time my symptoms were a lot worse and I was really starting to worry.

“When I got the call about the treatment I was so relieved. I went straight to the hospital, had the treatment and went home to bed.

“I still felt really poorly, at one point I kept getting sharp stabbing pains all over and I feared the worst, but gradually the symptoms started to wear off. I dread to think what might have happened if I hadn’t had the treatment. The team were all wonderful and I believe that they have saved my life. I will always be so thankful.”

Pictured below are members of the COVID Delivery Medical Unit team: