Long Covid is now a medically recognised term, but is far from being fully understood. This film meets the staff at the pioneering Post Covid treatment team at Bradford Royal Infirmary, one of the hardest hit trusts in the country.  We ask what is being learnt and what will be needed to treat the condition, and follow some of those still experiencing life changing physical and mental health symptoms a year after catching Covid 19.

Dr. Paul Whitaker

Dr Whitaker undertook his specialist Respiratory training in West Yorkshire. During this time he developed a clinical and research interest in pulmonary infections, in particular cystic fibrosis and tuberculosis. He completed a MD at the University of Liverpool investigating the immune responses in antibiotic allergy. He has over 50 high impact original research papers and has contributed to NICE guidelines and European guidelines on the topics of drug allergy and infection. In 2011 he became a consultant at Leeds Teaching Hospitals specialising in cystic fibrosis, TB, and chronic pulmonary infections.

In late 2019 he moved to Bradford Teaching Hospitals and now leads the tuberculosis service and is establishing new services, such as a specialised bronchiectasis clinic. Within two months of arriving in Bradford the cases of Covid began to arrive. He has played an important role in establishing ventilation on the medical wards and supporting the hospital response to acute Covid infection. In May 2020 he began to see the first cases of patients with prolonged Covid symptoms and established a MDT clinic that opened in June 2020.