Call for those living with ‘long-COVID’ to share experiences

Orkney’s MSP has called on constituents in Orkney experiencing “long-COVID” to come forward with details of their experience.

Liam McArthur believes there is an urgent need to understand the level of demand for “long-COVID” medical assistance in Orkney.

This call follows a recent announcement by NHS England that 15 specialist “long-COVID” services are set to be set up for children and young people, in addition to the 60 clinics already planned south of the border.

The Scottish Government is yet to confirm if it will establish any specialist clinics in Scotland.

The Office for National Statistics estimates that 1.1 million people are living with “long-COVID” in the UK. Among them 674,000 said continuing illness affected their everyday life, with nearly 196,000 stating that it affected their day-to-day activities a lot.

“It is important that anyone suffering from long-COVID should contact their GP in the first instance,” Mr McArthur said.

“This pandemic is going to cast a shadow over our lives for some time to come, but those suffering from long-Covid face specific challenges on a day-to-day basis.

“We need a better understanding of how many people in Orkney and across the country are in this situation. This can then inform decisions over the medical and other assistance that is required.

“Of course, isles patients often have to endure long and arduous journeys to access specialist healthcare on the Scottish Mainland. We need to ensure that appropriate assistance for long-Covid is available here in Orkney.