‘I can’t turn to science for help, I can’t turn to my doctor, I pay hundreds of pounds for supplements and private appointments for therapy to get help’
06:07, 26 Apr 2025Updated 06:47, 26 Apr 2025
Charlotte Hoyle says the life she has dreamed of has been ‘lost'(Image: Charlotte Hoyle)
A young woman who has been left bedbound with a full-time carer after a bad bout of Covid said the government has left patients to ‘rot’ since the pandemic ended.
Charlotte Hoyle said the life she dreamed of has been ‘lost’ after the virus left her with debilitating symptoms including memory loss, extreme fatigue and muscle aches. More than three years on, she is furious as she claims long Covid clinics are ‘are even being shut down now’.
The 34-year-old, who was a second-year psychology student when she fell ill, now has a full-time carer and can only leave bed to bathe and use the toilet.
She claims she endured a year-long wait for an initial diagnosis of fibromyalgia and she is still undergoing tests to establish if she has chronic fatigue syndrome. She believes both were triggered by Covid-19.
“I was a full-time psychology student at the University of Huddersfield when this all started,” she said. “I was happy, and I was enjoying life on my new career path.
“I loved doing yoga, singing, spending time with family. Prior to Covid I was ambitious and health-conscious.”
Charlotte, from Rochdale, initially contracted the virus in December 2022. But by February 2023, she said she developed debilitating symptoms which felt like a ‘mix between extreme flu and an extreme hangover’.
“I had the virus previously – but this time it felt different,” she added. “My heart rate was extremely high, and I struggled to breathe.
“I went to my GP, but I had to wait five months before being referred to a long Covid clinic. The clinic then referred me to a specialist for further investigation, but it took another six months to see them.”
During this time, in early 2023, Charlotte said she developed around 30 ‘debilitating health conditions,’ which ranged from early-onset dementia, extreme fatigue and severe body aches.
She was officially diagnosed with fibromyalgia in October 2024 and is awaiting a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome. Charlotte puts them both down to long Covid.
Long Covid describes ongoing symptoms of Covid-19, or new symptoms that develop after a Covid-19 infection. In March 2023, an estimated 1.9 million people in the UK reported that they were experiencing long Covid, representing 2.9 per cent of the population. Of these, 1.3 million had symptoms that had lasted for more than a year and 762,000 had symptoms lasting for more than two years, according to research published in October by Parliament.
“I am now housebound because of my health problems,” she explained. “My quality of life is now that of a cancer patient, if not worse.
“I sleep 12-13 hours per night, but it is unrefreshed sleep. I wake up feeling like I haven’t slept, with an extreme migraine, dizziness, low blood pressure.
“Basically, I am able to get up to go to the toilet and then back into bed.”
(Image: Charlotte Hoyle)
Although she now has a full-time carer, Charlotte insists that insufficient government funding for the NHS caused her rapid decline from infection to a diagnosis of chronic health issues.
“At the moment I have full-time care,” she said. “But just don’t feel like I am part of society anymore.
“I’ve got this invisible illness that has made me completely invisible. I have been left to rot.
“I, and thousands of others, including children, have been left.
“It’s like Covid is not addressed anymore – people don’t want to talk about it anymore, numbers of cases are not being counted anymore, and long Covid clinics are even being shut down now.”
The office for Charlotte’s local MP, Paul Waugh, said that the government is doing a ‘stocktake’ of post-Covid care services.
A spokesperson for the office said: “We can confirm that in September 2024 NHS England began undertaking a stocktake that will provide a more accurate, in-depth overview of the position of post-Covid-19 services throughout England. This will cover long Covid.”
Mr Waugh added: “Charlotte’s story is deeply moving and highlights the lasting damage caused by years of neglect and underfunding under the previous government. People living with long Covid and ME/CFS were too often left to suffer in silence, facing long waits, clinic closures, and a lack of understanding within the health system.
“I’m proud to be a Parliamentary Champion of the Action for ME campaign and a member of the APPG on ME and long Covid. Since entering Parliament, I’ve been pressing for faster action — and I welcome the commitment from the current government to finally deliver the long-overdue ME/CFS delivery plan this year.
“This plan is essential to improving care, training healthcare professionals, and accelerating research into these life-altering conditions.
“For people like Charlotte, it can’t come soon enough. We must ensure that the mistakes of the past are not repeated and that those with post-viral conditions receive the support, respect and treatment they deserve.”
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Greater Manchester health leaders say that long Covid services remain available across the region. Dr Manisha Kumar, chief medical officer, NHS Greater Manchester said: “We acknowledge the challenges Charlotte and many others living with long Covid and associated conditions face and are glad she has accessed specialist support, including from dedicated long Covid clinics.
“We encourage her to continue seeking advice and support from healthcare professionals and local patient advocacy groups.
“Long Covid services remain available across Greater Manchester, and we are committed to ensuring that individuals living with long Covid receive the care they need.
“In recent months, significant work has been done to develop a service providing comprehensive care for people with long Covid, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and other related conditions. This aims to ensure consistent support across all areas of Greater Manchester, addressing existing gaps in services.
“A key focus is improving early diagnosis and treatment while reducing long waits.
“As people continue to be diagnosed with long Covid, we recognise the need to offer timely intervention, reducing the risk of prolonged illness and improving long-term outcomes. We also understand the wider impact beyond physical health, affecting work, finances, and mental wellbeing.
“We are working with patient groups to better understand their experiences to strengthen support across the city-region.”
(Image: Charlotte Hoyle)
But for Charlotte, that understanding cannot come soon enough. “I can’t turn to science for help, I can’t turn to my doctor, I pay hundreds of pounds for supplements and private appointments for therapy to get help,” she shared.
“I had such a dream of the life I wanted to create, to become a psychologist, to help people, now I feel left with no help. Not only have I lost my life, but I have lost my identity.
“We can’t even protest as we’re too sick. We are completely stuck.”
Charlotte says there ‘have been questions about long Covid put forward to the government regarding research, but there is nothing being done’. However, the government claims it is funding research into long Covid.
A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are committed to ensuring there are quality services across the country for people suffering with long Covid, which we know can have a debilitating impact on people’s physical and mental health.
“No single treatment currently exists for the condition, which is why we are funding research into it. We are also joining up health and employment support so people with long term conditions can stay in work and get back into work.”
Dr Shona McCallum, the medical director of the Rochdale Care Organisation, which is part of the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The Rochdale Post Acute Covid-19 Service provides dedicated support for people experiencing ongoing symptoms after Covid-19, helping them manage their recovery and improve their quality of life.
“Since opening in 2023, the service has supported patients, offering personalised care from a team of dedicated healthcare professionals. By working closely with specialist consultants, allied health professionals and nursing colleagues, the service ensures patients receive the right treatment, rehabilitation, and advice tailored to their needs.”
NHS England has been contacted for a comment.