In last Wednesday's Scottish Budget, Finance Secretary Shona Robison promised funding aimed at “specialist support” for ME among “similar” conditions.
Second in the bullet point summary, on page 12 of the Budget it states:
“For those suffering from Long Covid, additional £4.5 million to deliver new specialist support across the country for Long Covid, ME, Chronic Fatigue, and other similar conditions. We will also work with Public Health Scotland to take forward a Respiratory Audit Programme,”
It is not clear where in the breakdown of budget funding allocations this money sits, and whether there are already any plans in place for ways in which this budgeting will be disbursed for service development and provision.
So our priority in this is finding what is planned and trying to ensure that we can guide most effective use of these funds to offer best potential support for ME patients and carers.
On Friday, Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern & Leith (SNP) submitted this question:
“To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement in its draft Budget 2025-26 of an additional £4.5 million to “deliver new specialist support across the country for Long Covid, ME, Chronic Fatigue, and other similar conditions”, whether this will include funding for the implementation of the NICE guideline on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), in the event that the draft Budget is agreed to by the Parliament.”
While news headlines concentrated on ending the 2-child benefit cap, the Finance Secretary's speech did include other statements that might impact on ME patients & carers. Further information below:
Health
“My biggest financial commitment today is, therefore, to our NHS. Today’s budget provides a record £21 billion for health and social care. An increase of £2 billion for frontline NHS Boards – a record uplift.
The extra funding we are providing will see over 150,000 extra patients treated as a result.
Our record investment will also deliver additional support for GPs, targeted to address known pressures in relation to waiting times and prevention.
It means we can deliver on our commitment to increase social care spending by 25% over this parliament – a full two years earlier than planned.
And we will expand the Hospital at Home service, with more than 600 extra beds.”
“This record increase in spending will fund: … new specialist long covid nurses and clinics”
Shona Robison
Benefits
“This budget will invest almost £800 million more in social security benefits in 2025-26, putting money directly into people’s pockets, and ensuring benefits rise by inflation.”
“And following engagement with disabled people’s organisations we are delivering over two and a half million pounds to support actions within the Disability Equality Action Plan.”
Shona Robison
Income Tax
“I have decided to provide tax support for low- and medium-income earners.
So while the UK Government has frozen all income tax thresholds, in Scotland, the basic and intermediate rate thresholds will increase this year by 3.5%, effectively twice the rate of inflation.”
Shona Robison
It remains unclear whether announcements for education and children's services are taking any notice of the needs of children with ME and their families, carers and teachers.