At present, only three NHS boards in Scotland provide any form of dedicated paediatric Long Covid service:
NHS Grampian (est. summer 2024).
NHS Lothian (est. Jan 2025. Temporary occupational therapy service, running until August 2025).
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (only for children aged 14+).
This means the majority of Scotland’s children with Long Covid still do not have access to any specialist care within their local health board. Many continue to be dismissed or left navigating fragmented paediatric services that are neither designed for nor equipped to manage complex post-viral conditions.
Lack of Paediatric Long Covid Services In Scotland – A Systemic Issue
In February 2023, during a meeting with then-Health Minister Humza Yousaf and representatives from various NHS health boards, the focus of the discussion was primarily on adult Long Covid services. When the question was raised about paediatric provision, there was no clear response, and one health board representative admitted they hadn’t realised that paediatric services were expected.
This reflects a broader and ongoing problem: while the need for adult Long Covid care has been partially recognised, children have been left behind. NHS Grampian only established its paediatric Long Covid service in the summer of 2024, and NHS Lothian’s new service is temporary and focused solely on occupational therapy.
Worse still, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde only provides a rehab-based service for children aged 14 and older, meaning younger children in Scotland’s largest health board area are entirely excluded from dedicated Long Covid care.
Even in health boards that do offer some form of care, the services are not medically led and lack specialist input.
Paediatric Services Must Meet Medical Needs, Not Just Rehab
While it is encouraging that some services now exist, they fall far short of what is needed. As highlighted in our recent blog on the Gold Standard for Paediatric Long Covid Care, these clinics rely on a rehabilitation model rather than a medical model.
Physiotherapists and occupational therapists play a vital role in helping children manage their symptoms, improve daily function, and enhance their quality of life. Their expertise in pacing, rehabilitation, and adaptive strategies is invaluable. However, these services alone are not enough.
The major gap is the lack of access to medical specialists who can diagnose and treat conditions commonly associated with Long Covid, including:
PoTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)
MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome)
PANS/PANDAS (Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders)
ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
Physiotherapists and occupational therapists cannot prescribe medications or order the necessary medical investigations (e.g., autonomic function testing for PoTS, blood work for MCAS, immunological testing, or imaging scans).
A truly comprehensive paediatric Long Covid service must integrate both rehabilitation support and specialist medical care to ensure children receive the full scope of treatment they need.
The Role of Families in Driving Change
A recent Long Covid Strategic Network mapping survey aimed to clarify what services are available across Scotland. However, given that only three NHS boards currently offer any form of paediatric Long Covid care, huge gaps remain.
Families can play a crucial role in demonstrating demand for services by:
Write to your NHS health board to ask when a specialist Long Covid service for children will be available in your area.
Share your experiences of Long Covid care on Care Opinion Scotland, an independent platform where patients can publicly highlight gaps in healthcare.
Contact your MSP to raise awareness of the lack of paediatric Long Covid care and urge them to take action at the Scottish Parliament level.
By raising awareness, putting accountability on decision-makers, and engaging with policymakers, families can help push for the development of dedicated paediatric Long Covid services across Scotland.
The Need for a Fully Funded National Paediatric Long Covid Service
The current paediatric Long COVID provision in Scotland is inadequate, inconsistent, and unsustainable.
NHS Lothian’s service is temporary and ends in August 2025.
NHS GGC’s service excludes children under 14.
Most health boards have no dedicated service at all.
Existing services lack medical oversight.
It is unacceptable that in 2025, Scotland still lacks a comprehensive, fully funded paediatric Long Covid service. Families should not have to fight for referrals or rely on short-term services.
The Scottish Government must act now to ensure that all children have access to a specialist Long Covid service within their local NHS health board.
Given the impact of Long Covid on children’s education, health, and overall quality of life, paediatric services must be developed across all NHS health boards.
