The ultimate goal is for my clinic not to exist, through contributing to the research and understanding of the disease, as well as driving the development of specialist services within the NHS, I hope one day my clinic becomes obsolete. Until then, we will do our best to plug the gap.
Dr Kane is a Consultant Respiratory Physician with 25 years of experience in the NHS, specialising in respiratory and acute medicine, with a special interest in Asthma, COPD, integrated care and healthcare leadership.
She earned her medical degree with honours from the University of Manchester in 2000, and subsequently completed her PhD in 2008 from the same institution. In addition to her clinical expertise, Dr Kane holds a Distinction-level MSc in Healthcare Leadership from the NHS Leadership Academy and University of Birmingham and has played a pivotal role in development of healthcare services in Manchester including; Community Respiratory Care, Acute Hospital at Home and Tertiary Severe Asthma services. She became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 2020.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Kane was an active member of Independent SAGE regularly communicating science to the public on matters relating to the pandemic. In Manchester, she Led the COVID Virtual Ward programme, supporting >4,000 patients home by providing remote care between 2020 and 2022. Her experience became deeply personal when her daughter developed severe Long COVID in 2021. This catalysed her advocacy, international research collaborations, and eventually, the founding of The Long COVID Clinic in Liverpool in 2022.
In January 2021, everything changed. My ten-year-old daughter had a mild COVID illness – and she didn’t recover.
As a Consultant Respiratory Physician with 25 years of NHS experience, I had spent the first wave of the pandemic on the front lines, helping to lead Manchester’s COVID-19 Virtual Ward. I believed I understood the virus. But what followed with my daughter was the most difficult period of our lives.
Over the first 12 months of her illness, she became progressively more debilitated. By 2022, she was housebound, wheelchair-dependent, and barely able to attend school. A diagnosis of COVID-induced ME was all we were given—without treatment options. Though everyone did their best in the NHS, once known conditions were ruled out, we were left without any meaningful support.
I turned to the patient community, to social media, to those already living with ME and Long COVID. It was there I learned about post-viral conditions, something that was missing from my training. I learned about how these conditions should be managed with careful pacing, and that there were treatable conditions such as dysautonomia, mast cell activation and disorders of clotting. Eventually, our path led us to Prof Resia Pretorius’ work and Dr Beate Jaeger’s clinic in Germany, where we found the first real answers and access to medical treatment a turning point in my daughter’s recovery.
We flew back and forth to Germany four times in 2022. With each visit, my daughter grew stronger. She returned to full-time school in September that year. Today, in 2025, she lives a normal life – something I never take for granted.
When her recovery stabilised, I realised I had the capacity – and the responsibility – to help others in the same position. In October 2022, I opened The Long COVID Clinic in Liverpool. What started with just two patients has now grown into a national service, treating hundreds of people, including children.
In 2025, I stepped back from my NHS role to dedicate myself entirely to this work. With my colleague Professor Mark Faghy at the University of Derby, we’re embedding real-world research into everything we do.
The work is hard. Progress is slow. But lives are being changed – and, sometimes, saved.
I founded The Long COVID Clinic because I believe no one should have to fight for answers the way we did. Until the system catches up, we’re here to help bridge the gap.
Research and Advocacy
Dr Kane is actively involved in collaborative research with Professor Mark Faghy (University of Derby), leading a clinic-based research programme with approved ethics for publication of real-word data. She has worked alongside clinicians and researchers internationally, and is a member of the World Health Network Long COVID Expert Advisory Group.
Her advocacy is far-reaching. She is a champion for Long COVID Kids, an advisor for the Charity Long COVID Support and an Ambassador for the #ThereForMe campaign. Dr Kane is passionate about patient education and hosts a YouTube channel aimed at empowering patients with information. She has represented patients in Parliament as part of the All-Party Parliamentary Group meetings for Long COVID and ME.
Publications:
Media & Public Engagement:
Regular media contributor on post-viral illness, Long COVID, and healthcare inequalities.
Public speaker at national conferences and forums for Long COVID awareness and medical leadership.
Link Tree:
The Long COVID Clinic website is intended for informational purposes only. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The content presented should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional medical guidance.
This platform offers a means to book an appointment with qualified healthcare professionals who can assess your condition in person. If you are experiencing a medical emergency or urgent symptoms, please call 999 or visit your nearest emergency department immediately.
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