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Summary

Across England and Wales, over 10,000 patients have been treated for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on an intensive care unit. Around 60% survived to leave hospital. We do not know how survivors’ severe COVID-19 infection, or the treatment they received on the intensive care unit, will affect their long-term health. Understanding what happens to these patients can help us make sure they receive suitable care from their GP and other NHS services after they leave hospital.

This study will follow up survivors for 1 year after discharge from hospital. We will use data collected by the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) to identify patients who were treated on an ICU for COVID-19. We will then use NHS data to see whether these patients were readmitted to hospital and why. Information from the Office of National Statistics will allow us to know whether these patients died. By linking different sources of patient data, we will be able to estimate the health risks faced by survivors of severe COVID-19. We will compare these risks to patients treated on an ICU for other conditions.

Important documents