RESIDENTS suffering from the long-term effects of coronavirus will be able to seek assistance with their recovery thanks to a new clinic.

Independent heart health clinic Venturi Cardiology, which opened in Birchwood five months ago, has launched a new respiratory service to help people who have had Covid.

It has partnered with expert respiratory consultants Dr Sarah Sibley and Dr Dennis Wat, offering consultations and a range of diagnostic packages for those with respiratory conditions.

The packages include post-Covid recovery, a respiratory health check and a specialist chest infections package supporting those with acute or recurring chest infections.

Dr Scott Murray, one of Venturi’s founders and clinical director, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Dr Sarah Sibley and Dr Dennis Wat to the Venturi team.

“They bring with them a wealth of experience and expertise in respiratory medicine, including specialist areas such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis and interstitial lung disease.

“We know there are so many people out there suffering with long-Covid, post-Covid symptoms and other respiratory conditions, and we want to give them the same easy and rapid access to expert advice and diagnostics that we give to our cardiac patients.

“We are also aware that those who have had long Covid, or indeed other acute breathing related illnesses, have concerns about possible damage and scarring to their heart.

“Having respiratory and cardiology consultants all under one roof by expanding our suite of services is a natural fit for our growing clinic.”

Respiratory consultant Dr Sarah Sibley says she is passionate about improving the care of patients with respiratory disease at all stages of their condition.

She said: “Many patients develop symptoms like breathlessness that could be caused by problems with either their heart or lungs.

“It makes a lot of sense to provide both cardiology and respiratory expertise all under one roof to diagnose problems quickly and get treatment started.

“We have all faced unexpected challenges over the last two years, and I hope that this new respiratory service will allow patients to get quick access to world class care for either an existing health problem or a new concern.”

Venturi was officially opened in June by former Bolton Wanderers footballer Fabrice Muamba and actress Gemma Atkinson.

Sporting legends Martin Johnson, Robbie Fowler and John Barnes recently underwent cutting edge heart screening tests at Venturi to raise awareness of World Heart Day.