In tonight’s segment on ITV Granada, our CEO, Sonya Chowdhury, speaks to Joshua Stokes about the lack of specialist services for ME.
"We sent out a freedom of information request to 14 NHS Trusts & integrated care services in the North West and only one came back with a substantial service for ME. So, it is quite shocking that we don’t have specific services, not least because of the impact of those that have developed Long Covid and now have ME-like symptoms."
The segment also features Debs Dixon, who talks through her experience of living with Long Covid for the last two years.
“I was so tired but I couldn’t sleep because the brain was just going over all over the place.
I was down for three months and at that point, it was probably the lowest I’d ever been in my life, and it still continues to be one of the biggest challenges.”
Stokes also sits down with Juan Corlett, of ME Support Isle of Man, to hear how the Isle of Man’s specialist service is helping those with chronic conditions such as Long Covid, and the links with ME.
“Everyday I rest for a minimum of 20 minutes, four times a day. I do less than I can do to make sure I don’t run out of energy tomorrow.”
Juan had spent years campaigning for a specialist service but it took a global pandemic to build momentum for the service.
“There was all of these Covid-19 cases which to us, seemed likely to generate a proportion of people with post-viral syndromes.
I think once we got local politicians on board, then the momentum built."
The service is now a year old and supports people with ME and Long Covid.
You can read the full article and watch the interviews here.
