United Kingdom News (including UK wide, England, NI and Wales - see separate thread for news from Scotland)

[Eleanor]

From the UCL link:

A defining feature of these conditions is post-exertional malaise, a key symptom of dysautonomia.

More definition creep around PEM...

 

[Chandelier]

The AI "summary" is longer than the original text and its version of the 'Aims of the Event' includes things which aren't in the original. I do appreciate the effort and intention in posting it but these AI things often just introduce confusion (and we get enough confusion already).

Oops, thanks for the heads up!
I replaced the AI gibberish with the actual text from the website.

 

[Trish]

Prof Sivan who is leading this is based at Leeds University, and is the government lead on Long Covid and advises on the ELAROS app we have concerns about. He is professor of rehabilitation medicine.

 

[Chandelier]

Covid Inquiry uncovers ‘forgotten’ children left disabled by Long Covid

Long Covid Kids supports 7,000 children whose parents say they have been 'gas lit' by NHS, schools and social services, as the inquiry uncovered pandemic-era advice against diagnosing the condition

www.mirror.co.uk

AI Summary:

The Covid-19 Inquiry revealed that during the pandemic, medical professionals were advised not to label children with Long Covid due to concerns about potential psychological harm. As a result, many children suffering from post-viral symptoms were never formally diagnosed. Families affected by the condition told the inquiry their children have been left disabled, often bedbound, and largely ignored by the NHS, schools, and social services.

The charity Long Covid Kids supports 7,000 families facing similar challenges. Its founder, Sammie McFarland, stated that public health messaging minimized children’s symptoms, which often became severe and long-lasting. Parents described being “gas lit” by healthcare professionals who dismissed their children’s physical symptoms as mental health issues. Many said there is no clear NHS diagnostic pathway for children and that Long Covid clinics are closing.

Among those affected are Harbinder Dhaliwal’s three children, aged 12 and 15, who have been unable to attend school for three years. Jana Touati’s 15-year-old son, Samir, developed Long Covid after catching the virus when schools reopened without sufficient safety measures. He now uses a wheelchair and suffers from cognitive and muscular issues. Both mothers attended the Covid Inquiry, saying that affected children have become “invisible.”

Data from the Office for National Statistics indicates that one in 165 children and young people—about 72,000 individuals—reported Long Covid symptoms after a second infection, though no data exist on how many remain disabled. Research from Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College London involving 12,600 children found that 70% recovered within two years, but teenage girls were twice as likely to remain affected.

An NHS spokesperson said over 100,000 people, including children, have received support through specialist clinics. The UK Government stated it is funding further research and remains committed to ensuring all children with Long Covid receive appropriate care and recognition.

 

[Sean]

The Covid-19 Inquiry revealed that during the pandemic, medical professionals were advised not to label children with Long Covid due to concerns about potential psychological harm.

If they did not name those doing the 'advising' (and I suspect it was a lot more direct and forceful than mere 'advice'), then they have not helped resolve the situation.

 

[Chandelier]

If they did not name those doing the 'advising' (and I suspect it was a lot more direct and forceful than mere 'advice'), then they have not helped resolve the situation.

Yes, that sounds like a huge scandal to me (as a non-UK citizen). @dave30th There might be plenty of official documentation that could be interesting to wade through?

 

[Trish]

A post about Clare Gerada being appointed to the House of Lords has been moved to the Gerada thread.

 

[rvallee]

Parents described being “gas lit” by healthcare professionals who dismissed their children’s physical symptoms as mental health issues. Many said there is no clear NHS diagnostic pathway for children and that Long Covid clinics are closing.

An NHS spokesperson said over 100,000 people, including children, have received support through specialist clinics.

Always, you find this complete separation of two mutually exclusive realities: the patients testifying endlessly about how disastrous it all is, the health care systems shrugging in response, not only indifferent to the fact that nothing is being done, but indifferent to having wasted resources to accomplish the exact same as not doing anything.

What the second quoted sentence describes is mere presenteeism: they were seen, professionals were present at some point. So freaking what? It amounts to nothing. In fact, most of the first sentence is about the second, how those clinics are a total sham, many of them run by professionals who openly state exactly what the complaints are about. Even some of the useless research they love to point at was done by deniers, and no surprise it amounted to nothing.

Also I absolutely don't believe that 100K were seen in a way that counts as clinical care. Not a damn chance. And both options are equally bad. If it were true, and it all amounts to nothing, how is this not a scandal when it has been denounced, even protested, again and again?

Aristocratic systems detached from reality. There is no such thing as a technocratic system, in the end they all dissemble into struggles for influence and become ruled by politics and personal agendas, ignoring their core mission and serving private interests in secret, behind closed doors.

Yesterday, Chris Whitty, who is a medical expert, said at the COVID inquiry that they didn't say anything about Long Covid because it's discussed plenty in the media. The vast majority of reports in the news media, in the UK and elsewhere, are all about a state of systemic negligence, denouncing total abandonment by health care systems, of lives broken and people begging for meaningful help. When experts have to lie this much, the whole system is rotten.

 

[Chandelier]

Striking rainbow sculpture monument to those lost in Covid-19 pandemic unveiled at Dudley hospital

A striking and colourful rainbow sculpture made of steel and hundreds of colourful glass hearts has been officially unveiled at the entrance to Russells Hall Hospital.

www.expressandstar.com

 

[Dolphin]

Update: Early Day Motion 'Final delivery plan on Myalgic
Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)'.
EDM (Early Day Motion) 1852: tabled on 08 September 2025. Tabled in the
2024-26 session.
This motion has been signed by 54 Members. It has not yet had any
amendments submitted.

Go to,
https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/64248

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Update: Early Day Motion 'Ian Gibson Fellowship'.
EDM (Early Day Motion) 1085: tabled on 22 April 2025, Tabled in the
2024-26 session.
This motion has been signed by 14 Members. It has not yet had any
amendments submitted.

Go to,
https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/63459

 

[Cinders66]

If they did not name those doing the 'advising' (and I suspect it was a lot more direct and forceful than mere 'advice'), then they have not helped resolve the situation.

The mirror article did name one in a matter of fact - vs a pile on way “The Covid-19 Inquiry this month presented a key document from a Government pandemic meeting from the summer of 2020. There the minutes show that Dr Shamez Ladhani, the Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases at Public Health England, was “clear that children should not be labelled with Long Covid (ie a medical condition) as this has the potential to cause longer term, psychological harm”.

This in my view is a clear continuation of messaging vs the m.e label , self fulfilling prophecy of doom etc. I am sure this was a common view behind the scenes in the medical establishment at the time.

Unfortunately it seems long covid advocates are still keen to omit the ME/CFS context, which in my opinion faciliTates the burying of the #me scandal / the total eclipse of m.e as a pressing issue, whilst arguing that their own scandal is being buried.

Simon Wessely was On the SAGE committee. In the covid inquiry the long covid commUnity are angered Chris Whitty calling long covid “the debate” and CW made a point of saying there wasn’t consensus on long covid in Kids early on. I mean, I bet there wasn't, because that would have required a 180 degrees pivot from a CBT model for post-viral syndrome symptoms caused by maladaptive behavior & unhelpful beliefs

If m.e had been taken seriously, they should have imo been obviously preparing for post-viral syndrome ie long covid in Children & adults and stressing, for all, the Importance of gentle convalescence as a LC protection and Afaics there has been no messaging ,just a vague attempt to sweep it up and carry on as per....

 

[Cinders66]

Update: Early Day Motion 'Final delivery plan on Myalgic
Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)'.
EDM (Early Day Motion) 1852: tabled on 08 September 2025. Tabled in the
2024-26 session.
This motion has been signed by 54 Members. It has not yet had any
amendments submitted.

Go to,
https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/64248

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Update: Early Day Motion 'Ian Gibson Fellowship'.
EDM (Early Day Motion) 1085: tabled on 22 April 2025, Tabled in the
2024-26 session.
This motion has been signed by 14 Members. It has not yet had any
amendments submitted.

Go to,
https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/63459

Breakdown of the September EDM signatures

39 The Liberal Democrats

4 plaid cymbru

2 independents

2 Green Party

2 SNP

2 The Labour Party

1 DUP

1 ALLIANCE

0 conservatives

 

[Cinders66]

The mirror article did name one in a matter of fact - vs a pile on way “The Covid-19 Inquiry this month presented a key document from a Government pandemic meeting from the summer of 2020. There the minutes show that Dr Shamez Ladhani, the Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases at Public Health England, was “clear that children should not be labelled with Long Covid (ie a medical condition) as this has the potential to cause longer term, psychological harm”.

This in my view is a clear continuation of messaging vs the m.e label , self fulfilling prophecy of doom etc. I am sure this was a common view behind the scenes in the medical establishment at the time.

Unfortunately it seems long covid advocates are still keen to omit the ME/CFS context, which in my opinion faciliTates the burying of the #me scandal / the total eclipse of m.e as a pressing issue, whilst arguing that their own scandal is being buried.

Simon Wessely was On the SAGE committee. In the covid inquiry the long covid commUnity are angered Chris Whitty calling long covid “the debate” and CW made a point of saying there wasn’t consensus on long covid in Kids early on. I mean, I bet there wasn't, because that would have required a 180 degrees pivot from a CBT model for post-viral syndrome symptoms caused by maladaptive behavior & unhelpful beliefs

If m.e had been taken seriously, they should have imo been obviously preparing for post-viral syndrome ie long covid in Children & adults and stressing, for all, the Importance of gentle convalescence as a LC protection and Afaics there has been no messaging ,just a vague attempt to sweep it up and carry on as per....

Video footage from the covid inquiry where the senior advice not to give a long covid label was discussed

 

[Sean]

If m.e had been taken seriously, they should have imo been obviously preparing for post-viral syndrome ie long covid in Children & adults and stressing, for all, the Importance of gentle convalescence as a LC protection

One of the great lost opportunities in recent history.

 

[bicentennial]

The Mirror newspaper reported the government contradicting its own paediatric research policy, so will someone please tell Professor Danny Altmann who had to report otherwise to an international Keystone Symposium in conference.

And tell the Dame conducting the current Long Covid Inquiry.

The Mirror report was that: the UK Government stated it is funding further research and remains committed to ensuring all children with Long Covid receive appropriate care and recognition (beware possible AI inaccuracy).

The Altman report was: that most significant and ongoing British refusal to fund current 2025 research into paediatric Long Covid giving as grounds this slippery slope:

- Because No Child has Long Covid. It does not exist in children. Paediatric Long Covid is non-existent. Defunct. Deceased. This parrot is dead etc.

This is consistent with the findings of the Covid Inquiry which are consistent with the report given to Danny Altman.

So a big thankyou to @Chandelier and @SNT Gatchaman

Of course all recent Prime Ministers are completely consistent if the research they are funding is into the "false illness" belief (admitted by Neil Riley and Paul Garner, albeit debunked and excluded by the current British Guideline).

What a prettty pickle as we say in Britain.

If m.e had been taken seriously, they should have imo been obviously preparing for post-viral syndrome ie long covid in Children & adults and stressing, for all, the Importance of

gentle convalescence as a LC protection

One of the great lost opportunities in recent history.

There being new cases every day, there is always a new opportunity to contain this devastation Let us see the U-turns across the world, in the offing. Show the conglomerate Medicaid USA how not to divert a state subsidy.

 

[Chandelier]

October 22, 2025

Lucibee​

@lucibee.bsky.social

9
Save
Now that the witness statements for today's hearings #UKCovidInquiry are available, it's interesting that Viner doesn't mention Long Covid *at all*. covid19.public-inquiry.uk

covid19.public-inquiry.uk
INQ000588157 - Witness Statement provided by Professor Russell Viner, Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Education, dated 22/08/2025 UK Covid-19 Inquiry Archives
Lucibee· October 22, 2025
@lucibee.bsky.social
So now, I bet the #UKCovidInquiry use this as an opportunity to kick the issue of Long Covid in kids into the long grass.
Prof Noakes' witness statement is here: covid19.public-inquiry.uk #UKCovidInquiry

covid19.public-inquiry.uk
INQ000588180 - Witness statement of Professor Catherine Noakes, dated 24/09/2025 UK Covid-19 Inquiry Archives

Is his past experience with post-viral fatigue syndromes not relevant at all? [video starts at 36 mins in]www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHhU...

October 25, 2025

Lucibee​

@lucibee.bsky.social

2
Save
Well this is interesting as well. If you look at the expert report (it's here: covid19.public-inquiry.uk)THERE ARE NO CONCLUSIONS!!!How can he agree with conclusions that don't exist? bsky.app

covid19.public-inquiry.uk

Long Covid Kids· October 22, 2025
@longcovidkids.bsky.social
Q - Do you agree with the conclusions in the expert report about the prevalence of Long Covid in children and young people? A - YES#LongCovidKids #LongCovid

Watch on Bluesky
I don't think folks have worked out what is going on here. Viner was formerly the consultant lead at the GOSH/ULCH clinic featured here: www.youtube.comSegal (co-author of the expert report) is also connected with this unit, now called TRACCS www.uclh.nhs.uk



Now of course many years have passed, and faces have changed, but the ideology is still broadly the same. That Long Covid is a psychosomatic or so-called "functional" disorder, that has more to do with "lockdowns" than with SARS2 infection per se. It's all through the report.
The report does everything it can to infer that it might have been "lockdown" that did the damage, and not SARS2 infection, or at least to create doubt about the latter in kids. covid19.public-inquiry.uk


The other expert reports to the #UKCovidInquiry on Long Covid are here: Module 2: Long Covid - Brightling and Evanscovid19.public-inquiry.ukModule 3: An expert report on the treatment of Long Covid - Brightling and Evans covid19.public-inquiry.uk

Source:

 

[Chandelier]

We've spent £5k taking our children to Germany for Covid jabs after NHS rollback

Private providers are not licensed to give the vaccine to children under 12, prompting some desperate parents to make the costly journey abroad

inews.co.uk

AI Summary:

Families Travel Abroad for Covid Vaccines After NHS Restricts Access

Many UK families are spending large sums to vaccinate their children abroad following NHS restrictions on Covid jab eligibility. The Government, acting on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), limited free vaccines to people aged 75 and over, care home residents, and those who are immunosuppressed. Private providers can give jabs to adults but are not licensed to vaccinate children under 12, leaving some parents desperate for alternatives.

Trips to Germany for Vaccines
Amos and Alexandra Waldman from Stockport, both with primary immunodeficiencies, drove to Germany five times so their children, aged four and 14 months, could receive Covid vaccines unavailable in the UK. Each trip cost about £1,000, including travel and accommodation, though the vaccine itself cost around €20–24. The Waldmans worry their children may share their hereditary immune condition, and their son was hospitalized with flu and caught Covid before receiving his jab. Mr Waldman said it was “outrageous” that safe vaccines for children are not available at home.

Clinically Vulnerable Children Left Out
An anonymous mother from Derbyshire, whose eight-year-old daughter has complex epilepsy and is due for brain surgery, said she felt “let down” after discovering her child was no longer eligible for boosters. With no private or affordable options, many vulnerable families are left unprotected.

Calls for Better Communication
Pharmacists criticized poor communication about the changes, while advocacy groups like Clinically Vulnerable Families urged the Government to restore NHS access, arguing that “it shouldn’t take a passport to protect your child.”

 

[Chandelier]

'I have long Covid, but some say it isn't real' - BBC News

Anita Widdowson says she battles with her symptoms every day, and is unable to work or study.

www.bbc.co.uk

Small bit from the BBC.

"I've been told that I'm spreading propaganda, that I'm lying, that the condition doesn't exist."

AI Summary:

‘I have long Covid, but some say it isn’t real’

Living with Long Covid
Anita Widdowson, a 27-year-old from north-west Leicestershire, was diagnosed with long Covid in 2023 after contracting the virus in January 2022. What started as mild symptoms quickly turned into severe fatigue and mobility problems. She says she now struggles daily and cannot work or study.

Daily Challenges and Changing Symptoms
Anita describes her condition as a “dynamic disability.” Some days she can walk for a while, while on others she can barely move and must stay in bed. She uses mobility aids such as a walking stick or rollator. The NHS defines long Covid as symptoms lasting over 12 weeks, but the condition is still poorly understood.

Support and Medical Care
Anita has received help from Glenfield Hospital’s long Covid service, which has handled over 8,000 referrals since 2020. She is also being tested for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), which can cause similar symptoms.

Raising Awareness and Hope
Despite criticism online, Anita continues to raise awareness and funds for the Long Covid Kids charity by walking 140 miles before December. Supported by her mother, Sue, she aims to raise £1,000 and hopes to return to education in the future.

 

[Eleanor]

'I have long Covid, but some say it isn't real' - BBC News

Anita Widdowson says she battles with her symptoms every day, and is unable to work or study.

www.bbc.co.uk

"Despite her struggles, Anita is continuing to challenge herself by walking 140 miles (225km) by the end of December in aid of the Long Covid Kids charity."

"Some days I can walk and walk, and then other days I get out of the house, take a few steps and say 'that's enough for today'."

I really hope she doesn't end up in a long-lasting crash from trying to "challenge" herself to complete something that's beyond her current limits.

 

[bicentennial]

"Poorly understood" means wilfully misunderstood, avoidably misunderstood, avoidable because this "misunderstanding" is only due to systematic propaganda calling illness a propaganda.

"I've been told that I'm spreading propaganda, that I'm lying, that the condition doesn't exist."- not an aid to understanding, is it? This so-called incomprehension is a highly organised artefact.

Never mind, because the Government is planning to stop all the propaganda being infiltrated and propagated from within the NHS. Can't be calling ME / CFS / LC a figment of the imagination.

That is propaganda with such clinical authority It just had to tell Professor Altmann to stop researching paediatric long Covid, because it doesn't exist, it is a harmful false illness belief, but we cannot arrest so many parents, take so many children into care.

What an anomaly. It is bewildering to have an ailing failing brain, but there is absolutely nothing hard to understand in this:

"after contracting the virus in January 2022. What started as mild symptoms quickly turned into severe fatigue and mobility problems.

"She says she now struggles daily and cannot work or study. .... 'dynamic disability' ... some days she can walk for a while, while on others she can barely move and must stay in bed. She uses mobility aids such as a walking stick or rollator."

And there you have it. The utterly incomprehensible report of yet another totally deluded subject. Sheesh.

Anyone who cannot understand it has lost their marbles. The BBC is so polite. "Poorly misunderstood" means viciously denied.