Home / Health / ME/Long Covid Care Cuts Spark Charity Fears
ME/Long Covid Care Cuts Spark Charity Fears
13 Jul
Summary
- ME services closed, Long Covid patients redirected by GPs.
- Charity warns of inadequate communication about service changes.
- Thousands of previously healthy adults may lose vital support.
Concerns are mounting over the cessation of vital services for individuals suffering from myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and Long Covid in Warwickshire. The ME Association has reported that George Eliot Hospital has closed its dedicated ME service. Furthermore, patients experiencing Long Covid within the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust (UHCW) are reportedly being directed to alternative care arrangements by their general practitioners.
Dr. Charles Shepherd, the ME Association's medical advisor, expressed alarm at the lack of clear communication, noting that many patients discovered these service changes through social media. He also indicated that some local GPs were not fully informed. While NHS Coventry and Warwickshire ICB confirmed that specialist clinics have been stopped, they did not specify what remaining support is available to patients.
Dr. Shepherd estimates that up to 6,000 individuals in Coventry and Warwickshire may have ME, with potentially double that number affected by Long Covid. He emphasized that many of these patients were formerly young, economically active adults, underscoring the need for specialized care. The charity argues that discontinuing such services is illogical given the demographic affected.
