The governments first national delivery plan on myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has been criticised by an ME charity for failing to deliver on several key areas.
National World
Extracts
We’ve all put a lot of time and effort into this but what has actually been achieved particularly in relation to improving the care and management of people with ME and stimulating research is disappointing. I feel it’s really just not good enough.
Dr Charles Shepherd, medical adviser to the ME Association
A lot of it is what I would call low level initiatives without any costs attached to them.
Dr Shepherd has a personal as well as professional interest in ME dating back over 40 years after he caught a dose of chicken pox from a patient and began to suffer from ME following this.
It continues:
In 2022, Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care at the time, had a niece who was badly affected by ME. It was then decided that further action was required from the Department of Health.
The government published its delivery plan on ME/chronic fatigue syndrome on 22 July setting out the foundations for improvements in some of the key areas that affect people living with ME/CFS in England, many of whom currently struggle to access the right care or support for their condition.
Information
- The ME Association: GOV UK issues a press release that the Delivery Plan on ME/CFS has been published | July 22, 2025
- The ME Association’s statement on the Government’s Delivery Plan on ME/CFS | July 22, 2025
- The ME Association: ITV News: Government pledges to ‘transform care’ for people with ME | July 22, 2025
- Channel 4 News: ‘ME Delivery Plan: will it make a difference? | July 22, 2025