Information for people with Long Covid
What is STIMULATE-ICP?
Long Covid is affecting over a million people in the UK. The wide-ranging symptoms are disabling, and need joined-up care from specialists, hospitals and community services. Over 80 long COVID clinics have been established but we need to better understand, diagnose and treat the disease.
The STIMULATE-ICP study is testing the best ways to care for people with long COVID in twelve geographic locations across the UK in collaboration with the Royal College of General Practitioners policy team, health professionals, academics and industry partners. Four patient organisations have helped to develop this study. They will be involved across the project from design to dissemination.
To improve recovery, we will work out what long COVID is, how to diagnose it and how to manage it. The data and findings will be easily accessible to aid further research and service improvement. This will inform our understanding of patterns of long COVID and the outcomes of current clinical practice. We have interviewed patients and health professionals and analysed data from NHS records and you can read our latest findings here: https://www.stimulate-icp.org/publications.
We aim to recruit over 1000 patients in the largest long COVID trial to-date. We are comparing a new pathway including
community-based, comprehensive MRI scan (CoverscanTM) and enhanced rehabilitation (Living with COVID RecoveryTM) with
usual care. We will also test different drugs, and measure effects of three months treatment by symptoms, mental health, return to work and other important outcomes. With patients, we will co-develop means to improve patient access to the right care at the right time in the right place, including health professional training. We will consider the aspects of long COVID care which might improve care for patients with multimorbidity and long-term conditions.
How can I get involved?
We are no longer accepting new participants into the trial. We aim to share results via this website in early 2025. We also have a number of resources on our website you might find helpful including video discussions developed with our patient advisory panel, please see: https://www.stimulate-icp.org/resources
Frequently asked Questions
Please see our
FAQ
for responses to common questions about the STIMULATE-ICP study.
