KATE Garraway today revealed her husband Derek Draper is facing a very lengthy wait for long covid care.

The former political lobbyist is suffering from the life-changing impacts of his near-death battle with coronavirus.

With the NHS under unprecedented pressure following the coronavirus pandemic as well as chronic under-funding, Kate told Good Morning Britain viewers how her family has been impacted.

Speaking during a special broadcast from insider Whiston Hospital, Merseyside, she said: "I know with my own experience with Derek… finally got into the long covid clinic after a year-and-a-half to an amazing, amazing group of people that are working on the impact of covid damage, and they said ;we're going to get you into this person, that person, we're going to take action'. The appointments have now come through for (20)23 and (20)24, so you're talking about four years from the original impact."

She added that while it is a long wait, they are grateful to have the appointments.

Last week the 55-year-old star appeared on Lorraine Kelly's show with co-host Ben Shephard and opened up about her husband's struggle.

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Derek was taken to intensive care with Covid in March 2020 and only allowed home in April the following year.

He returned to hospital in July this year after a setback – but Kate revealed he is back in the family home once more.

She told Lorraine: "It's been a long battle to get him back home again."

Kate also paid an emotional tribute to her co-host and friend Ben, saying he had been "extraordinary" throughout her ordeal.

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In an emotional confession, Kate feared her colleagues were "fed up to the back teeth" with her talking about Derek.

Asked by Lorraine how her 55-year-old husband was, Kate said: "Oh, I mean you know, it's a long onslaught.

"I can see he has better days, he has worse days. He is thankfully at home now. It's been a long battle to get him back home again.

"I think it's very tough on him and very tough on the people around me actually. All jokes aside, Ben – for all his unbelievable cheek – has been extraordinary.

"I can't help thinking, you Lorraine, all the people around me, the people at GMB, at Smooth Radio as well must be fed up to the back teeth.

"That is the problem, I think, if you are caring or if you have a long-term situation as Derek has.

She added: "It doesn't go away quickly and the fight goes on."

Ben, 47, cut in: "The really important thing to say it Kate thinks that – and that is just not the case. I can understand how you feel like that because it dominates your life."

She replied: "Sometimes people say: 'She's talking about that again.'

"I don't want to go on about it. What I've learnt – and this is a negative/positive – is that you only really know what it feels like until you're there. You imagine it, but you don't know.

"I now get contacted every day which makes me feel less isolated by genuinely thousands and thousands of people.

"Please say more because we are struggling and we don't have a situation where support is there."

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Derek became the nation’s longest suffering Covid patient after spending 13 months in hospital.

Kate revealed in ITV documentary Caring For Derek earlier this year that he could die within three days if left without expert care.

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