Aberdeenshire mum takes legal action against NHS Grampian over daughter's long Covid treatment

An Aberdeenshire mum is taking legal action against NHS Grampian accusing them of failing her daughter over long Covid.

Helen Goss claims her family suffered "medical gaslighting" and were "consistently" denied of NHS care for their daughter.

11-year-old Anna Hendy uses a wheelchair and has been unable to return to school since contracting the virus in March 2020.

In a statement on X, she said her family have "exhausted all avenues" with NHS Grampian.

It read: "Anna has suffered with Long Covid since March 2020 and for almost four years, we have tirelessly navigated and exhausted all avenues within NHS Grampian.

"It is regrettable that pursuing legal action seems to be the only viable option to progress and secure the healthcare that Anna urgently requires and rightfully deserves.

"NHS Grampian has neglected to uphold Anna's right to the best possible health, as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Article 24.

"The health board also exhibited a lack of seriousness in addressing our formal complaint, attempting to close it without resolution on four separate occasions."

NHS Grampian said it cannot comment on individual cases but are working on a long Covid pathway of care for children.

Helen has since gone down the route of private healthcare for her daughter, which she explains should have been provided by NHS Grampian.

Ms Goss' statement continued: "Despite repeated requests to the health board, the necessary treatment and care were consistently denied.

"This failure on the part of NHS Grampian to fulfil their duty of care has resulted in medical negligence, causing additional harm and trauma to Anna and our family."

Speaking with Northsound, Helen explained their referral for specialist in paediatric services was refused four times.

Ms Goss claimed after her daughter was diagnosed with Paediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS), no further help was offered so they had to seek private medical care.

She said: "They just don't seem to care very much and I want to make them care. I want them to admit they failed and that you can't treat a child like this.

"There's a child here who is fully bed-bound, she can only really get up to go to the bathroom right now and they've just left her. How could they do that, how do they sleep at night?

"Morally, how do you leave a child this unwell and just shrug your shoulders and say 'well, we're not going to give any treatment'.

"I'm so tired - it's daunting and overwhelming coming up against such a massive institution as the NHS but there are so many thousands - millions - of people in the world now with long Covid. So many children with long Covid.

"I'm not doing this just for us, I'm doing it for the whole community. I want accountability and I want justice and I want treatment and care for all of us because we're all just being abandoned with nothing. I can't stand for it, I just had to act."

Helen is now the chief operation officer of Long Covid Kids - a charity raising awareness of the condition and providing support for families with children suffering from long Covid.

During the Covid-19 inquiry last year, she explained how she had spent "many an evening crying on the bathroom floor" because she had "no idea what to do next".

The family are being represented by Thompsons Solicitors Scotland who say they are hopeful NHS Grampian will "finally do the right thing" for Anna and her family.

Catherine McGarrell, of Thompsons Solicitors Scotland which is representing Ms Goss, said: "As a result of the multiple failings and repeated failures, Anna's condition is much worse than what it should be, or what it could have been.

"It isn't a case of she wouldn't have contracted long Covid, it's the care in treating the long Covid that's made it worse.

"After years of completely avoidable failings from the NHS, all Anna needed was someone to take accountability and to start getting the treatment she needs.

"It's unfortunate the family are now having to take legal action against NHS Grampian to get the care Anna needs, but they've been left with no other choice.

"I'm hopeful NHS Grampian will now listen and finally do the right thing by Anna and her family."

A spokesperson for NHS Grampian said: "We cannot comment on individual patient cases.

"A long Covid pathway of care for children has been designed with the input of those with lived experience of the condition and is in the final stages of development, along with a new website for families.

"NHS Grampian has a long Covid project board and a long Covid paediatric steering group which help to inform our work.

"We also now have a paediatric long Covid practitioner as well as a paediatric clinical lead for long Covid.

"Children who are suffering with symptoms are managed by the appropriate clinicians according to their needs.

"The team is always happy to hear from those who have experienced long Covid, as well as parents and carers, regardless of the severity of their symptoms."