by Isle of Man reporter Joshua Stokes
Russell Fleming from the ME Association said: “I think one of the key lessons is to look at the way that patients can drive things forward. They came together with the Manx Government and the Department of Health and brought in specialists. If the UK can look at the Isle of Man and see how everyone can work together, the same could be applied in the UK – the patients voice is key.”
A service dedicated to patients with Long Covid, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) has been launched in the Isle of Man. Manx Care hope the new service will give those suffering with the conditions targeted help, and raise awareness of the growing number of people in need of help. The new service is open to referrals from GPs, with clinics available across the island.
Article extracts
Juan Corlett, Chair of ME Support Isle of Man, said: ‘We are very grateful to local team and UK based experts for their input towards the service. While it is important to remember that the new service will not cure patients, it does represent a huge step in the right direction and one that has been over 30 years in the making since ME Support (IOM) was started by Barbara and Robin Proctor.’
Experts in the UK are now looking to the Isle of Man to learn more about how a service can be implemented there.
ME/CFS affects more than 250,000 people in the UK and for decades has been recognised as a life-changing medical condition.
Long Covid has been estimated to affect 1,800,000 because Covid-19 created a pandemic that affected a significant proportion of the population.
More information
- Healthcare Improvements: Isle of Man Launch New ME/CFS & Long Covid Specialist Service – The ME Association
- Perspective 9.4.23 – ME is a disabling and complex illness and a new service being launched to support people living with the condition. – Perspective – Manx Radio
- The ME and Long-covid is a breakthrough for those who have campaigned for decades | iomtoday.co.im