When twelve-year-old Anna sent me a heartfelt letter describing her three-year struggle with Long Covid, it opened my eyes to this debilitating condition in children and young people. Anna, diagnosed in Year 4 and now in Year 7, can manage only one hour and twenty minutes of school each day. She has withdrawn from all of her school clubs, cannot attend parties or school trips, and lives with constant headaches and stomach pains. Most poignantly, she wrote: “I just wish people knew when it would end — it might make it less hard.”
Anna’s story is not unique. Long Covid, generally defined as symptoms lasting more than twelve weeks that an alternative diagnosis cannot explain, is affecting thousands of children across the UK. A study from the BMJ revealed the stark reality that many children are missing months of school due to ongoing symptoms, with some sacrificing all social and extracurricular activities to keep up attendance. Perhaps most disturbingly, families consistently report not being believed by schools or healthcare professionals, creating additional layers of distress and isolation for already vulnerable young people.
The impact on their education cannot be overstated. Children with Long Covid face a perfect storm of challenges that threaten their academic progress, social development, and mental well-being. When a child can only attend school for a fraction of the day, they don’t just miss out on lessons but the informal learning that happens between classes, the friendships formed over lunch breaks, and the confidence built by participating in sports and joining clubs. This isolation, combined with the already significant physical symptoms, creates a cycle where our young people become increasingly disconnected from their peers and their future prospects.
Currently, NHS England operates fifteen specialist Long Covid hubs for children and young people, but access to care remains patchy and inconsistent. Waiting times are often lengthy, awareness among healthcare professionals varies significantly, and many families struggle to navigate the system while advocating for their child’s needs. The situation is becoming even more dire as services are being cut. A Liberal Democrat colleague recently informed me that their Long Covid service in their constituency closed from March 1st, meaning GP referrals for patients with Long Covid will now be rejected entirely, a devastating backwards step at precisely the moment when we should be expanding support for these vulnerable patients.
As soon as I read Anna’s letter, I knew I had to do something. I got to work in parliament by tabling an early day motion and submitting a series of written questions to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
I asked about increased funding for research, as we must find a way to understand this condition better, develop effective treatments, and ultimately find ways to prevent or cure it so children like Anna can understand that their suffering will not be indefinite. Also calling for updated clinical guidance to support GPs, paediatricians, and school nurses in both diagnosing and treating children with Long Covid. Too many healthcare professionals are working without clear protocols, leading to inconsistent care and delayed diagnoses. This guidance must be comprehensive, evidence-based, and regularly updated as our understanding evolves.
I have also pressed the government to ensure access to age-appropriate care and treatment. Children are not simply small adults, they have unique developmental needs and their treatment must reflect this. The psychological impact of chronic illness during formative years requires specialist understanding and intervention.
Finally, I have requested current prevalence data for Long Covid in children and young people, broken down by age group. Without accurate data, we cannot properly resource services or plan for the future needs of these patients.
Alongside these written questions, I recently spoke in the general debate on the fifth anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic to pay tribute to the children and young people currently living with Long Covid. During this debate, I directly asked the government to commit to creating a long Covid register and care pathways to ensure effective treatment for all affected. This is not just a policy request but an urgent moral imperative for children who are watching their childhoods slip away while waiting for answers.
The Liberal Democrats believe that every child deserves the best possible start in life, free from the burden of preventable suffering. We are campaigning for comprehensive action on Long Covid, including the establishment of a national register and the creation of clear care pathways that ensure all practitioners have the guidance they need to treat long-term Covid-19 patients effectively.
Chronic conditions in childhood have far-reaching consequences beyond the immediate health impacts. They affect educational attainment, social development, mental health, and future life chances. The government’s response to Long Covid in children and young people will be a test of our society’s commitment to protecting its most vulnerable members. Anna ended her letter with a plea for awareness and more research. We owe it to her, and to the thousands of other children suffering in silence, to deliver both. These children deserve more than our sympathy, they deserve our urgent action, our research investment, and our unwavering commitment to ensuring that no child faces the uncertainty and isolation that Long Covid currently brings.
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