Scotland will spend just £17 per long Covid sufferer this year

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has warned that new figures show Scotland is spending just £17 per head to tackle long Covid this year, far less than the sums being made available in England and Wales.

Scottish Liberal Democrat analysis of Freedom of Information requests and of the most recent figures published by the Office for National Statistics reveal that in 2023/24, England will spend £90m on supporting those affected by long Covid, or £58 per sufferer. Wales will spend £8.3m or £88 per head. Scotland is budgeted to spend just £3m, or £17 per head.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

“Far too many Scots are struggling with long Covid.

“ONS data shows thousands more working-age people are economically inactive due to ill health. Getting those people healthy again would not just be good for the individual but good for the economy too.

“It’s not just that Scotland was slow off the mark. Figures for the year ahead show that Scottish ministers think long Covid patients are worth little more than the price of ticket from Glasgow to Edinburgh.  

“Many of those patients would be better off moving to England or Wales where clinical pathways are well established and funding is more generous.

“That’s a damning thing to say about Scotland under Humza Yousaf.”