ME/CFS (Hansard, 12 March 2002)

§ Mr. Gordon Marsden
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the work of his Department's working party on ME/CFS; and when he expects that working party will publish a report. [14708]

§ Jacqui Smith
I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002,Official Report, column 192W.
The independent CFS/ME working group was set up to review the field of CFS/ME with the aim of providing best practice guidance for clinicians, managers, patients, and carers to improve the quality of care and treatment. Their independent report was published on 11 January 2002 and is available on http://www.doh.gov.uk/cmo/cfsmereport/index.htm.
The report has identified CFS/ME as a specific illness. The report makes a number of recommendations about recognition and definition of the illness: treatment and care; health service planning; education and awareness; and research. We shall be bringing this report to the attention of chief executives of health authorities, trusts and primary care trusts so that they can consider its implications when commissioning services.

§ Mr. Blizzard
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what process will be used to evaluate the best methods of treatment for ME/CFS. [36384]
999W

§ Ms Blears
I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002,Official Report, column 192W.
Clinicians face problems when treating patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, as there are neither agreed diagnostic criteria nor one form of treatment to suit every patient. We need to develop a greater understanding in this area. A useful way forward at a local level could be for clinicians and patients to develop clinical learning networks that will allow them to develop expertise.
The Department has also asked the Medical Research Council to develop a broad strategy for advancing biomedical and health services research on CFS/ME.