Support Council Employees with Long COVID, Demand Lib Dems

The Liberal Democrats on Milton Keynes Council are set to bring a motion on Long COVID at next week's meeting of the Full Council.

Long COVID is where people who have had COVID continue to feel the effects of the virus weeks after initially becoming ill. According to NHS England, symptoms can include "breathlessness, chronic fatigue, "brain fog", anxiety and stress".

The Office for National Statistics found an estimated 1 in 5 people testing positive for COVID experienced symptoms for five weeks or longer, and 1 in 10 experienced symptoms for 12 weeks or longer.

Now, the Liberal Democrats want the Council to commit to supporting its employees that experience Long COVID.

The Group also want the Leader and Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to ask the government to regularly report on the number of people living with Long COVID, and to consider measures to support those living with Long COVID.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Andy Reilly, Shadow Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said: "Long COVID can sometimes be forgotten about, and that isn't right."

"We need to start preparing support for Long COVID sufferers now. Clearly this is not just a local authority job, but Milton Keynes Council does have influence when it comes to its own employees and lobbying the government."

"We cannot and should not wait to help people who have Long COVID, and I hope my fellow councillors will agree."