Chamber and committees

I will have to draw that bit to a halt. Thank you.

Ms Heaney, I realise that you are not in the room. Do you want to add anything to that?

I will start with Dr Shackles. In its submission, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland said:

“While most GPs have heard of Long Covid”,

which suggests that some GPs have not heard of long Covid. It also said:

“Most concerningly, there remain clinicians who dispute that Long Covid exists”.

What is your reaction to those statements?

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, do you stand by the statement that some GPs have not heard of long Covid?

Your paper talks about the general practice nursing education pathway. Is the main way into a GP practice not necessarily directly to the GP but maybe through the nurse?

I recently met some GPs in my constituency who are working in some of the neediest areas in Glasgow—they are probably some of the neediest areas in Scotland. Among other topics, I discussed the following with them and they made some comments. I am interested to know the witnesses’ reaction.

The GPs were pretty sceptical about long Covid clinics. That was partly because of cost, and because they would divert money and people away from existing NHS services. The rest of the NHS—GPs and the rest—is under a lot of pressure, and they felt that long Covid clinics would, effectively, put the rest of the NHS under even more pressure.

Another point that the GPs made was that most of the people whom they treat who have long Covid have multiple other long-standing issues as well, so to divert people away for long Covid would make the service even less joined up. At least at the moment a GP can deal with all their issues—including long Covid.

The other point that they made was that the main symptom they hear about in relation to long Covid is respiratory issues, and they are able to refer people to those with respiratory expertise, which seems to be working well. They feel that the present system is working reasonably well.

Would anyone like to comment?

Is the argument that resources might be diverted away from existing NHS services a problem?

Is that my time up, convener?

Jane Ormerod wants to come back in, too.

Assessment centres, maybe.