An ambitious plan is needed immediately to treat Long Covid sufferers in Scotland and avoid the country being plunged into an economic and health crisis, Scottish Labour has said.
The party is calling on the Government to “get a grip” on the threat posed by the condition, which is affecting 80,000 people.
It wants to see a network of Long Covid clinics, investment in research into the condition and the acknowledgement of it being an occupational disease.
Scottish Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: “Long Covid is our next health and economic crisis. As we speak, thousands of Scots living with this condition are suffering and are being denied the targeted help others in England and Wales are receiving.
“We are calling for the establishment of specialist Long Covid clinics, investment in Scottish-specific research into the condition and recognition of Long Covid as an occupational disease.
“We can’t have Scotland being left behind.”
Office for National Statistics figures suggest one in seven people continue to experience symptoms of Covid-19 after 12 weeks.
Meanwhile, the coronavirus situation in Scotland remains “quite fragile” as hospitals are expected to come under more pressure, a public health expert has said.
Professor Linda Bauld, of Edinburgh University, said the recent rise in cases appeared to be levelling off but the time lag of the virus meant hospital admissions would grow in coming weeks.
Daily cases peaked at 4234 on July 1 after a sharp rise in June.
Prof Bauld added: “There’s at least three or four health boards expressing real concern about their capacity
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