Long Covid campaigners in Scotland welcome £10 million support fund

Today, Long Covid campaigners in Scotland are welcoming a positive development in the fight to improve care for people in Scotland as Health Secretary Humza Yousaf announced a £10m Long Covid Support Fund.

The fund will help health boards respond to the condition and is designed to improve the co-ordination of existing services across health and social care and the third sector. It is a flexible fund that can be tailored to local needs.

The announcement comes just one week after Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, supported by people living with Long Covid and leading health professional bodies, published a Long Covid Action Plan which outlined next steps that need to be taken to make sure the 74,000 people living with Long Covid in Scotland get the vital support they need.

The Plan called for the Scottish Government to address four critical challenges, including the need for more resources, with the creation of a Long Covid Fund for health boards to access.

We are concerned that bureaucracy is proving to be an obstacle which is preventing full integration with NHS systems that enable people to be referred into the service. We hope that the fund will help address these issues and will be working closely with health boards and the Scottish Government to ensure joint working with the NHS and third sector.

Jane-Claire Judson, Chief Executive at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, said:

“We welcome the Scottish Government’s announcement of a £10 million Long Covid Support Fund. This is a really positive step towards making sure people living with Long Covid in Scotland are getting the vital support they need.

“In our Long Covid Action plan, which we developed with people living with Long Covid and health professionals, we recommended a fund to support health boards. It is fantastic to see the Scottish Government responding directly to what patients and clinicians have asked for.

“There is still a lot of work to be done and we will be working closely with health boards and the Scottish Government in the coming months to ensure that the fund is being used to meet the needs of people living with Long Covid in Scotland.”

GP Amy Small is living with Long Covid and was forced to give up her partnership due to her illness. Dr Small is working with us to promote and support the work of the Long Covid Support Service to ensure patients are receiving the right support.

Dr Small said: “As someone who is living with Long Covid and supporting patients who are struggling with the condition, this is a welcome step towards providing the coordinated care and support that we desperately need in Scotland. It needs to be used wisely to make sure health services have better capacity to care for people with Long Covid.

“After months of campaigning, it’s good to see this fund being set-up and plans being put in place to give Long Covid patients the expert help they need.

“Many people affected by Long Covid are key workers; this is essential investment in helping the country and the health service get back on its feet.”

Find out more about our Long Covid Action Plan by visiting: chss.org.uk/long-covid-action-plan