Today (05.08.25), Long Covid Scotland and Long Covid Kids have resigned from the Strategic Long Covid Network citing ‘Network Failure, Broken Trust and Policy Collapse' and said the Scottish Government is Breaking Promises, as £4.5m Long Covid Fund Remains Unspent.
By Long Covid Scotland & Long Covid Kids
Press Release
Two leading Long Covid charities have today announced their formal resignation from the Scottish Government’s Strategic Network for the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19, delivering a damning verdict on the failure to deliver promised services, uphold policy commitments, or support those most affected.
At the heart of their resignation lies a £4.5 million funding scandal: a headline investment announced by Shona Robison in her December 2024 budget to support people with Long Covid, ME, and related conditions, which remains entirely unspent seven months later.
In December 2024, the Scottish Government announced a £4.5 million non-recurring fund. Yet by July 2025, not a penny has been allocated. What was framed as a hopeful investment now stands as a symbol of inaction and broken promises.
Jane Ormerod, Chair, Long Covid Scotland
The charities — Long Covid Scotland and Long Covid Kids — were founding contributors in the Network, which was set up in 2022 to provide coordinated NHS and community support. Their resignation letter, sent to the Scottish Government and NHS National Services Scotland (NSS), cites systemic failure, lack of leadership, and a breakdown in trust as the reasons for stepping away.
Not a penny has reached those who need it.
We entered 2025 with cautious optimism. Instead, six months on, we are forced to resign from a system that continues to fail the very people it was created to support.
Helen Goss, COO and Scottish Lead, Long Covid Kids
MEA Comment:
The £4.5 million funding announced by Scottish Government last year included provisions for ME & CFS patients, and the lack of action is the same for us as for Long Covid patients. The difference is that we were not offered any “Strategic Network for the Long-Term Effects of…” ME/CFS. We continue to try to find openings for engaging with NHS Scotland practice and service provision, and with Medical Education, but lack of response persists.
Ewan Dale
Trustee,
The ME Association
