Northern Sydney Long COVID Service (NSLCS)

We provide … coordinated care and specialist medical, nursing and allied health support for people who are experiencing complex Long COVID symptoms. This service is for people whose complex symptoms require intensive care coordination and allied health or multidisciplinary team (specialist medical and allied health) advice on management of long COVID.

You may receive either care coordination and allied health support or if your care requires further escalation, a specialised medical-led multidisciplinary case review will occur to recommend changes to your care plan to optimise symptom management.

We care for… people who live in the Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD) catchment area with suspected or confirmed Long COVID.

Long COVID is defined by the World Health Organisation as:

An illness that occurs in people who have a history of probable or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection; usually within 3 months from the onset of COVID-19, with symptoms and effects that last for at least 2 months.

Common symptoms can include:

• Fatigue
• "Brain fog" or difficulty thinking clearly
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Lethargy
• Cough
• Headache
• Sleep disturbance
• Heart palpitations (racing heartbeat)
• Loss of smell or taste
• Hair loss
• Poor concentration
• Reduced exercise tolerance

Your GP will request blood tests and a chest Xray. Please bring with you any relevant test results and reports that have been performed to date.

You must be referred to the Northern Sydney Long Covid Service by a general practitioner (GP) or a medical specialist. You cannot self-refer.

To be eligible for referral, you must be:

• a resident within the Northern Sydney Local Health District catchment
• at least twelve weeks from the date of SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis
• have suspected long COVID as per the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines
• experiencing moderate/severe symptoms and risk factors impacting quality of life and functional status.
• experiencing significant symptoms beyond the scope of GP management and requires coordinated care management.
   

If you're 16 years and younger, you'll be managed by our general paediatric service. The urgency of the referral to the paediatric service will be assessed and communicated with you. 

Please visit your GP or a medical specialist to discuss your eligibility to be referred to the service.
 

Information for GPs:

Please refer to the Clinical Practice Guide for Assessment and Management of Adults with Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 published by the NSW Agency of Clinical Innovation.

Refer via Electronic referral system (HealthLink) or RedCap (GP use only)

Please see HealthPathways for specific referral criteria

GP must  order the following tests as per the referral form:

• Blood test results
• Chest X-ray report / imaging
• Other relevant investigation results (e.g. ECG, MRI)

Other tests and investigations ordered as indicated by the patient's symptoms and noted on the referral form.

GPs are encouraged to call the GP Long COVID Advice Line if requiring guidance for the management of their patients with long COVID or clarification for referral to the service is required.

 
This line is staffed by a GP on weekdays from 9:00am to 5:00pm.

GP Long COVID Advice Line number: 0418 579 373 (GP use only)

Resources for self-management:

World Health Organisation (WHO) - Support for Rehabilitation: Self-Management after COVID-19 Related Illness.

Lung Foundation – COVID Recovery Support Group (online)

NSW Government – About Long COVID and related resources

Resources for GPs:

• Clinical Practice Guide for Assessment and Management of Adults with Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 published by the NSW Agency of Clinical Innovation (PDF).
• Agency for Clinical Innovation's Long COVID Model of Care (PDF).