A CHARITY is calling for action as figures show that the number of Scots living with Long Covid is at a record high.

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland is demanding that the Scottish Government set up a new service for referrals from the NHS to third sector organisations.

This comes after more than 59,000 people across the country are now living with the effects of the illness for over a year, according to the Office of National Statistics.

READ MORE: Over 700 staff face axe at Glasgow's flagship Covid lab

Allan Cowie, Director of Service Delivery at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, said: “The Scottish Government needs to approach Long Covid with more urgency.

"How many more records need to be broken before we see urgent action?

“We know that good work is being done in different parts of the country to support people with the condition.

"But we're not seeing the speed and urgency to join things up and make sure everyone is getting the help they desperately need now. We can’t keep delaying – more needs to be done.

“We need to make sure there is a wraparound service in place where people can easily be referred through to third sector services like ours from the NHS.

"By having this in place we can make sure patients aren’t falling through the cracks.”

READ MORE: Renaissance Care to scrap 12-hour shifts and offer four-day week

Dr Amy Small, a GP who has been living with Long Covid since April 2020, said: “Behind these record-high numbers, there are real people like me whose lives have been completely turned upside down by Long Covid.

“Every week at work, I’m seeing new cases of Long Covid. This isn’t going away; thousands of people are in desperate need of help.

“People in Scotland are still having to push to get the care and support they need and that’s not right. We need to make sure that the support that’s being provided by charities like Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland is integrated and joined-up with NHS, making it easier for GPs to refer patients on to the right care.”