A parliamentary inquiry is recommending significant policy measures be introduced to improve Australia’s management of existing and future long COVID diagnosis and treatments.

The inquiry report, titled ‘Sick and tired: Casting a long shadow - Inquiry into Long COVID and Repeated COVID Infections’ was published today by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport.

The Chair of the Committee, Dr Mike Freelander MP, has welcomed today’s publication after eight months of research, community engagement and hearings.

“We are emerging from a global pandemic that altered our history and our approach to healthcare. There are now individuals who are experiencing complications from the COVID-19 virus and this inquiry is a means to help shape policy to manage these health concerns going forward.”

The Committee was established by the Minister for Health, the Hon. Mark Butler MP, in September 2022 as a bipartisan Committee to work with community members and experts on the matter of long COVID and repeated COVID infections.

Throughout its eight-month inquiry, nearly 600 submissions were received from individuals, organisations, and medical professionals who either have lived experiences with long COVID or are involved in the treatment and research stages.

The Committee membership includes Ms Anne Stanley MP, Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah MP, the Hon Mark Coulton MP, Ms Peta Murphy MP, Dr Gordon Reid MP, Dr Monique Ryan MP and Ms Jenny Ware MP, as well as Ms Melissa McIntosh MP as Deputy Chair with Dr Freelander as Chair.

The bipartisan report makes 9 recommendations to reform Australia’s approach to long COVID with the intention to better treat and support patients and medical professionals going forward.

Notably, this includes recommending the establishment of a single COVID-19 database to capture data on COVID-19 infections (new and recurrent), complications, hospitalizations, and deaths. 

Additionally, the Committee recommends the establishment of a nationally coordinated research program, to coordinate and fund COVID-19 and long COVID research.

These, as well as the recommendation that the definition of long COVID be reviewed, involves participation between the Federal Government and the states and territories to ensure a cooperative approach between differing Department’s of Health and health networks.  

Primary healthcare providers, such as GP’s, are crucial in the fight in early diagnosis and treatment opportunities for those with long COVID.

As such, the Committee has recommended that greater support and education opportunities be provided to medical professionals to assist these patients, as well as providing greater mental health support, telehealth and digital health resources and establishing long COVID clinics to provide equitable access to those suffering from long COVID.

“We have been working on this important issue since September last year and I am very proud to now present our recommendations and findings to the Minister and Department for consideration.

“I am very thankful to all Health Committee members for their contributions and hard work, including Ms Melissa McIntosh MP for her work as Deputy Chair.  

“I am also very appreciative of the Secretariat, particularly Clare Anderson, Kate Portus, Kate Morris, Cassie Davis, and Cathy Rouland. Without their professionalism, diligence, experience and good humour, this Inquiry would not have been achievable.

“I would like to thank the hundreds of Australian people and organizations that made submissions to the Committee, as well as countless conversations and meetings, which have helped shape this Inquiry.

The Speaker of the House will table this report today, 24^th April 2023, with the full report available on the Committee’s website after tabling.