By Bill Heaney
A report from Washington University in St Louis found that those who had had Covid-19 had a 72 per cent increased risk of heart failure, a 63 per cent increased risk of heart attack and a 52 per cent increased risk of stroke, regardless of age, Dame Jackie Baillie told the Scottish Parliament this week.
The Dumbarton MSP added: “Similar things are happening to other organs in people who have symptoms that are characteristic of long Covid. The problem has not gone away; long Covid persists.”
Dame Jackie said a new report on long covid dealt largely with the collection of data, because little evidence is collected centrally by the Government.
“What progress has been made to ensure the consistent collection of long Covid data,” she asked First Minister Humza Yousaf.
SNP member Jim Fairlie said: “Addressing stigma and the lack of a single point of contact, evaluation of other approaches to treatment and signposting for affected patients were all recognised as being vital for us to make progress to help sufferers.
“Will the First Minister reassure the people who are affected that those issues are being taken forward to allow them to learn to live with the condition or to be treated, and to get on with their lives?”
Mr Yousaf replied: “Since the publication of the Long COVID report, a number of recommendations have been implemented. They include publishing a suite of educational resources on NHS Education for Scotland’s learning platform to improve healthcare staff’s knowledge and understanding of the condition of long Covid and NHS National Services Scotland commissioning the University of Leeds to support the initial evaluation of long Covid services in Scotland.
“Over this financial year, we have made available £3 million of the £10 million long Covid support fund to support national health service boards to increase the capacity of the services that support those with the condition, develop those services into more clearly defined local pathways and provide a more co-ordinated experience for those who need to access support.”
He added: ” Jim Fairlie makes important points about stigma and establishing in every health board a single point of contact for long Covid patients. I mentioned the funding that was provided. I am also happy to write to Jim Fairlie with details of long Covid services that are available in our health boards.
“We continue to engage with people who are living with long Covid to develop case study videos for NHS Inform, which will provide an insight into people’s personal experiences of living with the condition, and to help us to co-design the policy that is required in relation to long Covid.
“The identification, assessment and management of people with long Covid is very much guided by United Kingdom-wide clinical guidelines, which were developed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Scottish intercollegiate guidelines network and the Royal College of General Practitioners.
“The guidelines were developed using a living approach, which means that they will continue to develop and evolve as we learn more about long Covid.
“I therefore give Jim Fairlie an assurance that is not just about tackling the stigma involved in seeking help, because nobody—at all, ever—should feel that they cannot reach out for help; I give him a further assurance that any policy that we design in relation to long Covid will be co-designed with those who have lived experience.”
FM Humza Yousaf, Dame Jackie Baillie and Dr Sandesh Gulhane.
Conservative health spokesperson Dr Sandesh Gulhane said the Scottish Government issued an update on long Covid guidance on NHS Inform via the official @scotgovhealth channel on X, formerly known as Twitter.
He added: ” It was endorsed by the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, Jenni Minto. The video downplays the challenges that individuals who are grappling with long Covid encounter, fails to fully represent the diversity of symptoms and the severity of long Covid, and disregards treatment for symptom management.
“UK long Covid charities have urged the Scottish Government to withdraw the video and to apologise. Will the First Minister do so?”
Mr Yousaf replied: “We take the issues of long Covid very seriously indeed, and we recognise the impact that it has on the health and wellbeing of those who are affected—not just adults but children as well. We know that people can have a range of experiences.
“The video that Dr Gulhane mentioned was made with the input of health professionals and people who are living with long Covid. I give him an absolute guarantee that we will continue to engage with those who have lived experience, including the organisations that he referenced, and will take on board their comments.”:
“Jackie Baillie is absolutely right that one of the report’s recommendations was on data collection. The Scottish health survey provides annual monitoring of the population prevalence of long Covid. It includes questions about self-reported long Covid and, more qualitatively, the impact on day-to-day activities.
“The Scottish health survey for 2022 was published on 5 December 2023. We should seek to see what more we can do to improve that data collection, as per the committee report. I am happy to ensure that Jackie Baillie gets full details of what health boards are seeking to do to improve their data collection on long covid.”