Edinburgh housing: Portobello mum suffering from long Covid left without working shower for weeks

A Portobello resident who suffers from long Covid has not had a working shower for over three weeks

An Edinburgh council tenant who suffers from long Covid says she has been left without a shower for over three weeks, calling the council’s efforts to rectify the situation ‘ridiculous.’ Teresa Gray, from Portobello, first contacted the council repairs team in March and, following a visit from contractors, was told her shower was still under warranty and a matter for the manufacturer.

But after a few weeks of being forced to wash using a small sink in her bathroom and taking trips to the local swimming pool to shower, Mrs Gray contacted shower manufacturer, Mira, who told her the council had not informed about them about the required repair, telling her they respond to warranty calls within 24 hours.

The mother of three said: “For the last three weeks I’ve been washing myself in a tiny sink. The council aren’t pulling their weight, they’re passing the buck every day – but the manufacturer said they’ve not heard from the council. It’s ridiculous.”

Teresa said the council 'aren’t pulling their weight'

Teresa said she has contacted the council every day since the shower broke but is ‘getting nowhere’ adding she was told on a recent call with the repairs team that ‘their supervisor didn’t know anything about it’. The 53-year-old, who has lived in her home for eight years, had a wet room installed in the bathroom six months ago – with the open plan design designed to help with breathing difficulties she suffers with that stem from long Covid.

In 2020 Teresa was admitted to hospital on the first day of lockdown, where she was put into an induced coma and spent nearly two months recovering from the virus in hospital. Teresa also developed pneumonia, sepsis and suffered a double stroke during her seven-week ordeal. She said going nearly a month without a shower has been difficult and also meant her son and husband, who both have physically demanding jobs, need to use a shower at a relative’s house in Bingham.

Teresa said: “I suffer from anxiety and this is really having an impact on that – I’m crying a lot right now. I’ve got long Covid which is classed as disability. Why do they not move their backsides?”

A council spokesperson said: “We are urgently looking to resolve this and a replacement shower is due to be installed on Friday 14 April with some follow up repairs in the next few days. We have been in touch with the tenant and we have visited this week with a contractor to try to resolve the matter.”