For far too long now, there’s been a troubling lack of care, attention and resources provided to those who suffer from the prolonged and debilitating experiences after a covid infection. There’s also been a lack of clear messaging from public health officials — and political leaders — here in Scotland that should concern us all. That needs to change.
As the MSP for the Lothian Region, I have heard directly from constituents concerning the dreadful impact of lingering covid complications. Recently I chaired a roundtable with constituents living with long covid where I heard about the struggles many are facing — firstly in being diagnosed, and then the impact long covid is having on their quality of life.
A Trustee speaking for Long Covid Scotland said: “It is especially worrying to hear how many of those with Long COVID are frontline workers — including nurses, teachers and delivery employees. People with Long COVID can no longer contribute to the economy, unable to work and face expensive complications. Simply put, they are being let down by the system.”
I heard about people being misdiagnosed and the obstacles they faced in accessing services. The lack of expertise in Lothian, along with misinformation, or a dearth of information at all, has resulted in inadequate treatment.
There is a clear disconnect in terms of expert guidance and what the public is being told, including what GPs are telling their patients and what those living with long covid are experiencing. An example is the absence of masking and ventilation in health-care settings, such as A&E and cancer wards.
Cass Macdonald said: “As a former NHS worker, I have been baffled and outraged at the lack of evidence-based care, an only-rehab approach and outright gaslighting by my former employer, combined with a refusal to prescribe medications that a private provider – who I saw in desperation – recommended.
“On top of that, their refusal to acknowledge their lack of expertise and refer elsewhere has contributed, I believe, to my steady decline, in spite of doing everything I can possibly do to recover or at least remain symptom free.
“This is exacerbated by a lack of joined-up care with social services – some of us are profoundly disabled and the pandemic has made these gaps even more evident, combined with the historical poor treatment of others with chronic conditions, such as ME/CFS.”
It is estimated that six per cent of Scotland’s population now suffer from Long Covid. In a recent report from Chest Heart Stroke Scotland (CHSS) 72 per cent of people with long covid said they needed support and are unable to access it; 82 per cent had some kind of difficulty accessing services.
Another report from the Health and Social Care Alliance found that 87 per cent of respondents said their experience of accessing long covid services was mostly negative. The COVID-19 pandemic was a once-in-a-generation event that requires a long-term plan and a proactive, continuous effort on behalf of government.
It’s clear there is a deficit of information that leaves patients struggling to manage their care across multiple, disconnected services. The Scottish Government emphasised that COVID-19 Care Coordinators would be a critical part of its plan moving forward, but delays in implementing these care providers have laid bare the inadequacy of the government’s commitment.
The Scottish Government needs to take the impact of long covid seriously and finally commit and implement a coordinated strategy for the good of its citizens.
Foysol Choudhury is a Labour MSP for Lothian.
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