HC Deb 07 September 2004 vol 424 cc1070-2W
Mr. Pike

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis(a) in Burnley, (b) within the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust and (c) within the East Lancashire NHS Trust; and if he will make a statement. [186740]

Dr. Ladyman

The Department has no plans to institute special data collection exercises for specific diseases, conditions, syndromes or injuries.

Central monitoring and reporting is limited to that information needed to demonstrate progress against the targets set out in "National Standards, Local Action: Health and Social care Standards and Planning Framework 2005/06-2007/08", published by the Department on 21 July 2004; and for contractual purposes. Additional monitoring is kept to a minimum in favour of local performance management systems, exception reporting and independent inspections.

The report of the independent chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy working group, published in January 2002, estimated a population prevalence of around 0.2 to 0.4 per cent. in adults and around 0.07 per cent. in children. It made no analysis of regional variations.

Mr. Pike

To ask the Secretary of State for Health where chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis-diagnosed patients(a) in Burnley, (b) within the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust and (c) within the East Lancashire NHS Trust receive treatment; what the furthest distance an individual in these areas has to travel to access specialist services; and if he will make a statement. [186741]

Dr. Ladyman

We do not hold information centrally on the treatments and rehabilitation services available locally to patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/ myalgic encephalopathy.

Mr. Pike

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from(a) chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) sufferers in Burnley, (b) CFS/ME sufferers within the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust and (c) CFS/ME su#ferers within the East Lancashire NHS Trust, (d) Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust and (e) the East Lancashire NHS Trust regarding (i) the levels of service provision and (ii) access to services for CFS/ME; and if he will make a statement. [186742]

Dr. Lady man

We are not aware of formal representations from people in the towns and trusts mentioned. There is regular correspondence to the Secretary of State, Ministers and the Chief Medical Officer around service provision for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy.

Mr. Pike

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what provision(a) East Lancashire NHS Trust and (b) Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust have for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis services; what specific funding they receive to deliver these services; and if he will make a statement; [186744]

(2) what referrs mechanisms are in place for (a) East Lancashire NHS Trust and (b) Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust to access chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis centres and support teams in the region; and if he will make a statement. [186745]

Dr. Ladyman

From April 2005, funding has been granted to create specialist multidisciplinary team for the geographical area of Lancashire and South Cumbria, which includes East Lancashire and Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale primary care trusts. Children and young people with chronic fatigue syndrome/ myalgic encephalopathy will be managed by local community paediatric services, supported by the two clinical network co-ordinating centres in Manchester and Liverpool. Lancashire and Cumbria have been allocated £115,000 to develop the service.