Mersey Care's Long COVID service launches exercise App for patients

MERSEY Care's Long COVID service has developed content for an online app to help speed up the recovery of patients suffering from the effects of the debilitating condition.

Working in partnership with Physitrack, the Long COVID service have filmed a series of breathing, movement and mindfulness videos that have been uploaded to the app, known as PhysiApp, allowing patients to see therapists performing the movements and techniques demonstrated in clinic.

The team can remotely monitor their patients' activity via the new dashboard as they work through their tailored plan, which also allows them to comment on how they feel whilst participating in the movement and techniques.

Dr Chris Barker, Mersey Care's Clinical Director explained:- "The resources we're making available on the app, allow us to work closely with our patients to develop a personalised treatment plan, that can address not just physical symptoms but also emotional and mental wellbeing, The Long COVID service aims to empower patients with the knowledge and confidence to help manage their symptoms and regain control of their health."

Those suffering from Long COVID can experience a variety of symptoms, including extreme tiredness and fatigue, feeling short of breath, problems with memory and concentration (otherwise known as brain fog), heart palpitations, dizziness, joint pain and muscle aches

According to the Office for National Statistics, around 1.9 million people living in private households in the UK reported to be suffering from Long COVID symptoms on:- 6 March 2023. If you think you're suffering from any of these symptoms, please go and see your GP for a referral.

The app with all the exercises, breathing techniques and mindfulness is available to patients of Mersey Care's Long COVID service. Referrals into 1 of their clinics are made via your GP, who will need to confirm it has been over 12 weeks since your COVID symptoms started.

You also need to be registered with a GP in:- Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton or St Helens.

Pop up cycle lanes to be made permanent

WORK is to begin this week to convert 2 pop up cycle lanes, in Liverpool, into permanent active travel routes. Liverpool City Council has appointed A E Yates Ltd to upgrade the pop up lane on:- Crown Street, as well as create a new cycle lane along:- Catharine Street, between Caledonia Street and Upper Parliament Street.

The £2m scheme would see a fully segregated cycle lane on both sides of the carriageway on:- Catharine Street and connect cyclists to the award winning segregated lanes on:- Princes Avenue, which is part of the route through Toxteth to Sefton Park.

The Catharine Street / Crown Street scheme, which is a key element of the Council's Active Travel programme, will consist of the following improvement works:-

• New segregated cycle lane.
  

• New dropped kerbs and tactile paving.
  

• Carriageway reconstruction.
  

• New pedestrian crossing at Catharine Street/Canning Street junction.
  

• Road drainage works.
  

• Road markings.

Works will also be undertaken to enhance a 2nd pop up cycle lane which runs through the City's Baltic District and out to Otterspool Promenade, 1 of 7 established during the Covid19 Pandemic, with upgrades at the junctions of:- Jamaica Street, Grafton Street and Kent Street.

Work on both schemes, which are supported by Active Travel England's Active Travel Fund 2 and the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, began on:- Monday, 8 July 2024, and will take an estimated 6 months to complete, subject to weather conditions.

Construction will be undertaken between the hours of:- 8 am to 5.30 pm, on weekdays only.

Signal upgrades will also be introduced at both the:- Canning Street and Upper Parliament Street junctions to make them more active travel friendly. To enable this, right-turn manoeuvres will be restricted at the junction of:- Catharine Street and Upper Parliament Street.

To monitor the effect of these changes an Experimental Traffic Order (ETO) will be introduced. This will be subject to a public consultation once the scheme has completed.

Councillor Dan Barrington, Cabinet member for Transport at Liverpool City Council, said:- "We want Liverpool to be a great cycling City, and to do that we need to provide the infrastructure that encourages people to get on their bike. This investment will enhance what was temporarily created during Covid and, crucially, will fill in the gaps to provide a seamless journey. There's more to do, which is why we're investing in more cycle lanes, but the jigsaw pieces are beginning to fall into place and over time all this work will have a huge impact on people's health and Liverpool's air quality in the long term."

Simon O'Brien, Walking and Cycling Commissioner for Liverpool City Region, said:- "It is fantastic to see this new funding being unlocked, to really help us push forward with our plans to help create a network of walking and cycling routes that befits the City. We've got some great active travel infrastructure, but we need to make sure it's properly linked up so people feel confident that they can travel easily and safely by bike or on foot; that's what this funding will help to do. These kind of schemes are going to help change the way we think about travelling around our local area."