Scottish long-Covid sufferers ‘better off moving to England or Wales’
Analysis by Scotland’s LibDems and the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show England will spend £90m supporting people affected by Long Covid in 2023/23, equivalent to £58 per person .
In Wales, spending is £8.3m or £88 per capita.
But in Scotland only £3million has been allocated for Long-Covid, so £17 per capita.
Read more: Long Covid forced more than 2,600 NHS staff to take time off
Long Covid is a condition in which people have signs and symptoms that develop during or after an infection compatible with Covid-19 that has lasted more than four weeks and cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis.
According to the ONS, there are an estimated 172,000 people with long-Covid in Scotland, compared to 94,000 in Wales and 1,560,000 in England.
Cole-Hamilton, leader of Scotland’s LibDems, said: “Far too many Scots are struggling with long Covid.
“ONS data shows that thousands more people of working age are inactive due to health reasons. Getting these people back to health would not only be good for individuals, it would also be good for the economy.”
“It’s not just because Scotland was too slow. Figures for next year show Scottish ministers believe long-term Covid patients are worth little more than the price of a train ticket from Glasgow to Edinburgh.
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“Many of these patients would be better off moving to England or Wales, where clinical pathways are well established and funding is more generous.
“That is a damning statement about Scotland under Humza Yousaf.”
The Scottish Government has pledged to provide a £10million Covid support fund over three years, but NHS England has earmarked £224million in support for the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of people with long Covid.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The Scottish Government is aware of the significant impact that long Covid can have on the health and well-being of those most affected across Scotland.”
Read more: Long Covid: Two-thirds of Scots face discrimination in the workplace
“We are making £3million available this financial year from our £10million Covid Support Fund to help NHS boards increase the capacity of existing services to support people with the disease, delivering them in more clearly defined local channels evolving and enabling more collaborative working.” Orderly experience for those accessing support.
“This is on top of what our healthcare system is already doing in looking after people with long Covid across our full range of NHS services.
“Our 2023-24 Scottish Budget provides record funding of over £19bn for the healthcare portfolio, attracts over £1bn in new investment and supports recovery and reforms to ensure sustainable public services.”
