Newly elected Highlands and Islands MSP Cllr Morven-May MacCallum gave a moving maiden speech in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday 3rd June 2026, to shine a vital light on the struggles faced by Lyme disease and chronic illness patients across Scotland and beyond.
A life-changing battle
Declaring her role as a Highland Council councillor and her support for both LDUK and the Lyme Resource Centre (LRC), Morven-May shared how a teenage tick bite completely altered the course of her life.
She spent over eight years largely housebound and bedbound due to repeated misdiagnoses and denied treatments, and noted that it was only through her family’s relentless determination and deep financial sacrifices that she has the degree of health she has today.
“My story should never have been my story, and nor should it become anybody else’s.”
– Cllr Morven-May MacCallum MSP
Systemic failures and tragic consequences
Despite the introduction of revised NICE guidelines for Lyme disease in 2018, Morven-May highlighted that patients are still routinely refused treatment, given inappropriate antibiotics, or diagnosed too late. She identified the lack of an accurate blood test for the complex bacteria as a primary driver of these failures.
Tragically, these systemic shortcomings carry a human cost. Morven-May paid tribute to Scott Beattie, a 43-year-old gamekeeper from Ross-shire who died after being misdiagnosed and mistreated. She also highlighted the heartbreaking reality of patients who have taken their own lives after being left without hope by the healthcare system.
Limited medical awareness and increasing infection rates
The speech brought forward striking data from a 2024 Lyme Resource Centre survey, illustrating the scale of the issue. In Scotland:
- 80% of survey respondents reported contracting Lyme disease within the Highlands and Islands.
- 82% stated that they, or someone they knew, suspected Lyme disease long before a medical practitioner did.
Read how the lack of disease awareness and expertise amongst health professionals is a top barrier to diagnosis and treatment.
As tick numbers and those contracting tick-borne infections increase, cases are becoming more widespread. As Morven-May described, in Scotland patients are reporting bites everywhere from Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh to residential gardens in the Highlands.
Solidarity with the wider chronic illness community
Morven-May bridged the gap between Lyme sufferers and the wider chronic illness community. Noting that patients with ME, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, POTS, and EDS can share remarkably similar symptoms, and also struggle to be diagnosed, supported, and believed.
She referred to the damaging psychological toll when patients are told their physical symptoms are “just anxiety” or “all in their head”, and how many have been forced to sell their homes, spend their pensions, or take out huge loans to fund private treatment.
A call for change
While expressing her profound gratitude for NHS staff, Morven-May urged the Scottish Parliament to be honest about where the system is currently failing. She called for better diagnostics, specialist expertise, and vastly improved awareness among both healthcare professionals and the public.
Closing her speech, she asked the Cabinet Secretary for Health to commit to further discussions to ensure that no one in Scotland has to fight harder to be believed than they do to get well.
Morven-May has also recently described her health battle in a Press & Journal article, and on BBC Radio Scotland.
- New MSP’s Lyme disease journey: ‘I was misdiagnosed as a teen and spent my early 20s housebound and bedbound.’ – by Neil Drysdale
- BBC Radio Scotland interview with Julia Knight, LDUK Trustee, Press & Community Outreach Manager.
With thanks
LDUK sincerely thanks Morven-May for sharing her own health journey publicly, advocating tirelessly for patients as an LDUK Patient Ambassador, and so eloquently calling for change.
Read more: A full transcript of Morven-May MacCallum’s first parliamentary speech is available via the Scottish Parliament Official Report.
Next steps
Please share your patient story with politicians to show the real-live impact of Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections. Our guide linked below provides tools and templates to help you make contact and ensure your voice is heard. Thank you for your support.
Read more about how to share your story with politicians.