I have raised my concerns over the use of £427,323 in funding intended to support patients suffering from Long Covid as a recent FOI showed NHS Fife is one of five NHS Scotland health boards that have failed to establish a pathway to refer Long Covid patients at all.
The response to the FOI confirmed NHS Fife does not have a Long Covid pathway, a Long Covid Clinic, and does not hold information about the number of patients that have been treated for Long Covid.
In 2021, the SNP Government announced it would spend £10million on Long Covid over three years.
Despite £6.7million of this funding being allocated across Scotland, organisations and projects receiving funding have only spent £3.6million and only 4,368 patients have been treated for Long Covid.
The SNP government has pledged an additional £7.5million in last week’s Budget for specialist support for Long Covid, ME, Chronic Fatigue and similar conditions, but it appears that at least £3 million of this is money that was not spent under the 3-year Long Covid fund.
I have written to NHS Fife’s Chief Executive Carol Potter as I was concerned to hear that NHS Fife has not been keeping track of how many long covid patients they have treated and do not appear to have a clear pathway for those suffering from long covid symptoms.
I have heard from a number of constituents who are still suffering the impacts of covid and long covid and they deserve to be given the attention and treatment they need and that the funding was intended to provide.
The disparities between health boards in their approach to dealing with long covid is concerning enough but to hear that NHS Fife is one of only five health boards who do not have a long covid pathway is disappointing and the issue must be addressed by the Chief Executive as a matter of urgency.
The fact that NHS Fife have received over £400,000 to specifically support those with the impacts of covid and long covid, it is only right that we are told how that money is being spent as most health boards in Scotland are able to.
There is a need for greater transparency from NHS Fife on what that money is funding and how it is helping those suffering from these conditions.
