Majority of health boards spend less than half of Long Covid funding

Speaking on International Long Covid Awareness Day, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today urged the SNP Government to work with health boards and expand support for Long Covid patients, as analysis by his party revealed that some health boards have spent none or hardly any of their Long Covid funding allocation in 2022/23.

The Scottish Government announced that a £10 million Long Covid Support Fund would be made available to NHS boards and a number of organisations.

Scottish Liberal Democrat analysis examined how much was allocated from that fund in 2022/23 to each health board and how much of it was spent. This has shown that in 2022/23:

• NHS Dumfries & Galloway, NHS Fife, NHS Forth Valley and NHS Shetland did not spend any of their Long Covid funding allocation.
• NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde spent just 2% of their Long Covid funding. This amounted to £12,992 out of a possible £595,000.
• NHS Grampian spent just 13% of their allocation, while NHS Lothian spent 17% and NHS Ayrshire & Arran spent 19%.

In a letter to the Convener of the Covid-19 Recovery Committee dated March 2023, Humza Yousaf tried to explain the reasons for this underspend, citing “delays in recruiting to posts identified to implement the pathways of care for long Covid.”

However, several NHS boards warned the Scottish Government at least a year before that letter was sent, in their funding applications from March 2022, that the non-recurring nature of the funding would result in the creation of temporary posts, which could pose problems with recruitment.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said:  

“So much of this staggering underspend comes down the SNP Government’s failure to commit to supporting health boards in the long term.

“It’s not enough for Humza Yousaf to hide behind the excuse of “staffing.” Several health boards warned the Scottish Government that the funding model would result in the creation of unattractive temporary posts, and yet it looks like ministers took no action whatsoever to address that.

“We also know that the government now plans to stretch Long Covid funding over five years rather than three, with the total funding available remaining unchanged. This lacklustre and incoherent approach is an insult to all those ordinary Scots who face breathing difficulties, crushing fatigue and any number of other debilitating symptoms associated with the condition. Many of those with Long Covid have been suffering for almost four years now.

"In England new care pathways are already up and running but in Scotland we are far behind.

“As we mark International Long Covid Awareness Day, I want to see the Scottish Government changing tack and working with health boards to ensure funding can be put to use to help all those in need. That starts by addressing obstacles that would otherwise prevent key funding from being spent.”