"It's just post-viral fatigue, give it time.", what you've probably been told
Long COVID
NHS guideline NG188 sets out how the NHS should assess, refer and manage people with ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 syndrome. It explicitly covers fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog, post-exertional malaise, and autonomic symptoms.
The wait: Most patients report 2+ years before a diagnosis.
What GPs miss
Many GPs still treat Long COVID as a wait-and-see issue. NG188 is clear: a person with symptoms beyond 12 weeks not explained by an alternative diagnosis should be assessed and, where appropriate, referred to a multidisciplinary post-COVID assessment service.
The letter asks for
- Formal recognition of post-COVID syndrome where criteria are met
- A holistic assessment as described in NG188 §1.4
- Referral to a post-COVID assessment clinic where one is available
- Investigations to exclude alternative or additional diagnoses
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Frequently asked questions
What if my GP says Long COVID isn't a real diagnosis?
NHS guideline NG188 formally recognises post-COVID-19 syndrome as a clinical syndrome. The letter cites the guideline directly so the GP cannot dismiss it as opinion.
Can the letter ask for a specific clinic referral?
Yes. NG188 covers referral to an integrated multidisciplinary assessment service. The letter requests this where applicable.
What you hear vs. what NG188 says
What's usually said in the room
"It's just post-viral fatigue, give it time."
What the guideline actually says
Many GPs still treat Long COVID as a wait-and-see issue. NG188 is clear: a person with symptoms beyond 12 weeks not explained by an alternative diagnosis should be assessed and, where appropriate, referred to a multidisciplinary post-COVID assessment service.
Source: COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of COVID-19 (NG188)
What to do next
You have just read what the guidance says. The gap most people hit next is getting that in writing, on their record, in front of their GP.
Your GP has not acted on it
We draft a formal letter to your NHS GP citing NG188, built from a 3 minute assessment in your own words. £39. Free redraft if anything reads wrong.
You are claiming PIP for this too
PIP award rates, trend and mandatory reconsideration for Long Covid, computed from the DWP's Stat-Xplore database.
The same page covers what to do if you have already been refused.
You send the letter, not us. General information, not medical advice.
Where Long COVID sits in the DWP's PIP award-rate league table
Benefits and rights for Long COVID
PIP for Long Covid / ME/CFS
How fluctuating conditions win on the reliability test.
Read the guide →
LCWRA on Universal Credit
£423/month extra and no work search.
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Long Covid clinic referral
Get on the NHS NG188 pathway.
Read the guide →
GP receptionist complaint
Escalate when reception is the bottleneck on referrals.
Read the guide →
Outcomes from people with Long COVID
One short email each Sunday, anonymised stories from people who put their case to their GP in writing.