An urgent response is needed to meet the “daunting” double rehabilitation challenge of supporting virus survivors and people whose care was interrupted by lockdown, a medical group is warning.

The Allied Health Professions (AHP) Federation Scotland says rehab services need to be bolstered in the same way hospitals were at the start of the crisis.

Many patients have been left with ongoing rehabilitation needs after contracting the virus or because access to services for other conditions has been disrupted since the NHS moved to an emergency footing in March.

In a letter to the Scottish Parliament’s health and sport committee, Federation convener Andrea Wilson writes that “people’s health and function is now at risk due to pauses in planned care, or because of delayed diagnosis and treatment.”

“It is critical that the impact on community provision is met with the same urgency and resource as that put in place for acute services and intensive care,” she says, “so we can support Scotland’s population to recover from the effects of the pandemic.”

“The challenge facing community services is now daunting. And getting ahead of the curve to plan and remobilise services must begin in earnest.

“What is essential is that primary care, community services and integrated health and social care is no longer under-utilised, under-estimated or de-prioritised.”

As recovery plans are drafted within each of the Scotland’s health board areas, Ms Wilson writes that it is essential the “unique skills” of AHPs are threaded through these.

AHPs can range in specialty from diagnostic radiographers, arts therapists and podiatrists to speech and language therapists, physios and orthoptists, who help patients manage a range of eye problems.

Modernised rehabilitation services need to be delivered that follow a “digital first” approach, Ms Wilson says.

“For over a decade it has been recognised that earlier intervention, preventative care, and investment in primary care and integrated health and social care is the path to a healthier society, with reduced demand for hospital care and acute services.

“This requires investment in services, and this must be accelerated to design and deliver the right care where it is needed, when it is needed.”

The Royal College of Occupational Therapists’ Alison Kerr told healthandcare.scot earlier this month that patients recovering from the virus and people who have been shielding have a “right to rehabilitation”.

The professional practice lead said action was needed to support people to “get back to their best possible self”.

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