The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) is a cross-party group of Members of Parliament and the House of Lords. It seeks to improve health, social care, education and employment opportunities for M.E. sufferers and encourage biomedical research into the cause and treatment of M.E.
The next APPG on M.E. meeting with take place on Wednesday, 15 November 2023 from 1.30-2.30pm and we would be grateful if you could invite your MP to attend. The more MPs at these meetings the better the chance of raising awareness of key issues and lobbying for positive change.
You might like to:
- share social media announcements with your MP.
- personalise and send the email below.
Read more.
- The last APPG meeting about Severe M.E. happened on 14 June 2023.
- You can find a current list of APPG members here.
- You can find contact information for your own MP here.
Template Email
Dear [YOUR MPS NAME]
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on M.E. (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis)
I am writing to invite you to the next meeting of the APPG on M.E. which will take place on Wednesday, 15 November 2023 at 1.30-2.30pm.
As one of your constituents, I am hoping you can attend on my behalf because I feel it is important that you understand the issues and contribute to the discussions.
- The APPG on M.E. is chaired by Carol Monaghan, MP, and you can contact her office to obtain further details about the meeting: carol.monaghan.mp@parliament.uk.
[Include some additional information that reflects your personal experience as someone with M.E. living in this constituency and the topics about which you feel are particularly important, such as improvements to local health and social care service provision.]
M.E. affects more than 250,000 people in the UK, which means around 400 young people and adults in your constituency. It is indiscriminate and can dramatically impact the lives of people from all ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds.
M.E. is recognised as a long-term, fluctuating, neurological condition. It affects the body in different ways and leads to functional limitations that mean people are unable to initiate or complete normal activities. It most often develops after an infection and most people are unable to fully recover.
The physical symptoms of M.E. can be as disabling as multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and congestive heart failure. People with M.E. experience a lower quality of life than most other long-term conditions.
Long COVID is another post-infectious syndrome that has clinical and pathological overlaps with M.E. As many as 1 million people could have a diagnosis of long COVID and research is suggesting up to 50 per cent of those with this condition could meet the diagnostic criteria for M.E.
Yours sincerely,
[ADD YOUR NAME and POSTAL ADDRESS]
More information
- Please download a copy of the APPG on M.E.’s 2022 report: Rethinking M.E.
- It contributed to the decision by the DHSC to produce a Delivery Plan on ME/CFS in 2024 that will prioritise health, social care, and research into M.E.
- The Interim Delivery Plan was subject to a recent public consultation and the ME Association’s submission can be read here.
- Action for M.E. recently published an FOI report on the implementation of the 2021 NICE Guideline on ME/CFS: Patchy, Misunderstood and Overlooked.
- The 2021 NICE Guideline on ME/CFS contains evidence-based recommendations to the NHS and social care services. It is the result of 3 years work and is endorsed by Action for M.E. and The ME Association. Both charities are working with the DHSC, NHS, and social care services to see the Guideline implemented across the UK and new or improved healthcare services commissioned.
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