Manx Care launches dedicated Long Covid and ME service for Isle of Man patients

A service dedicated to patients with Long Covid, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) has been launched in the Isle of Man.

Manx Care hope the new service will give those suffering with the conditions targeted help, and raise awareness of the growing number of people in need of help.

More than 1,000 people are suffering with Long Covid, and approximately 350 people have ME.

The conditions share similar symptoms with disabling fatigue often being the prominent trait.

The new service is open to referrals from GPs, with clinics available across the island.

Those include Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital, Thie Rosien in Port Erin, the Noble’s Hospital site and at the Western Wellbeing Centre in Peel.

Juan Corlett, Chair of ME Support Isle of Man, said: ‘We are very grateful to local team and UK based experts for their input towards the service. While it is important to remember that the new service will not cure patients, it does represent a huge step in the right direction and one that has been over 30 years in the making since ME Support (IOM) was started by Barbara and Robin Proctor.’

  • Juan Corlett explains the 34-year timeline leading up to the new service

Pauline Birnie

Pauline Birnie tested positive for Covid-19 at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.

She experienced severe breathlessness and lost her voice, but did not have a fever or cough and said she "did not particularly feel unwell".

Over time, her condition worsened to the point where she could no walk to the end of her garden without feeling like she was suffocating.

That then progressed into a rapid heart rate just from standing up, chest pains and dizziness.

She said: "At its worst, I could not get to the bathroom by myself. I was always such an independent person before all this and to have someone bathe me, shower me, help me get dressed it's been soul destroying.""If I'm being totally honest, I didn't want to be alive anymore."

  • "I really don't think people realise how devastating it can be" - Pauline Birnie

It was not until she saw a doctor when she was told she had developed a condition called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

A condition that is more common in post Covid patients.

She said: "After three years, it's only in the last six weeks that I've been able to wash my own hair, and that's such an achievement."

Pauline uses an electric wheelchair to help her conserve energy when moving around. Credit: ITV Granada Reports

Craig Morris

Craig Morris was diagnosed with ME in 2010.

Since then he has been campaigning for a dedicated service, while raising awareness through his own experience.

He said: "Most of the time I'm quite bedbound. It can even be difficult to move and speak a lot of the day so I have to spend a massive proportion of my day resting."

He believes his late diagnosis could have been avoided if there was better research and understanding around the condition.

He said: "It was a bit of a battle to try and get help. I really like my GP, he just didn't know what to do so I just had to look on the internet. I was so sick".

Craig Morris has been campaigning to raise awareness of ME, following his diagnosis in 2010. Credit: ITV Granada Reports

Before Craig's diagnosis, he had become head of English and was looking forward to playing hockey and water polo after moving back to the Isle of Man.

"I've just been absolutely determined that other people won't suffer as much as I did, that they'll get that early advice and intervention."

Craig has played an active role over the past decade to create a the new service.

He said: "I think the good thing is knowing that it will help people who find out they're ill now so they can get the advice to make sure they bounce back."

Experts in the UK are now looking to the Isle of Man to learn more about how a service can be implemented there.

ME/CFS affects more than 250,000 people in the UK and for decades has been recognised as a life-changing medical condition.

Long Covid has been estimated to affect 1,800,000 because Covid-19 created a pandemic that affected a significant proportion of the population.

Russell Fleming from the ME Association said: "I think one of the key lessons is to look at the way the patients drive things forward. They came together with the Manx Government and the Department of Health and brought in specialists. If the UK can look at the Isle of Man and see how everyone can work together, the same could be applied in the UK - the patients voice is key."

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