UK charities have joined together to create an Overlapping Illness Alliance (OIA), which includes the following organisations EDS/HSD UK, Long Covid Support, Long Covid Kids, PoTS UK, Mast Cell Action, Action for ME and Forward ME (of which the ME Association is a member).
The OIA is a coalition of charities working to improve recognition, care and support for people of all ages living with overlapping conditions such as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Long Covid, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS), and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS).
This alliance should hopefully give more weight to gaining support for people with these conditions and highlight the need for research.
Parliamentary Drop-in Event
The Overlapping Illness Alliance will be hosting a drop-in event at the Houses of Parliament, where they will speak to MPs about these illnesses and what they can do to support their constituents.
Date: 25th November 2025
Time: 3pm – 5pm
Venue: Room U, Portcullis House
This is a vital opportunity for MPs to hear directly from charities working to improve recognition, care and support for people living with complex, overlapping conditions. MPs are far more likely to engage when they know how this affects their constituents, so your voice essential to ask them to attend this event.
Find your MP
Please use the template letter (below) and search via the link below
Or alternatively, if easier you can visit the Overlapping Illnesses Alliance link here
Template Letter
Your Name
Your address & postcode
Date
Dear [MP name]
Many of your constituents live with overlapping illnesses that rob them of their health, independence, and dignity. These conditions are complex, underfunded, and often misunderstood. Your advocacy can drive real change: better research, increased funding, and services that reflect the complexity of real lives.
I’m writing as your constituent to ask you to attend the drop-in session hosted by the Overlapping Illness Alliance on Tuesday 25 November from 3pm-5pm in Room U (Portcullis House).
The OIA is a coalition of charities working to improve recognition, care and support for people of all ages living with overlapping conditions such as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Long Covid, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder, Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS), and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS).
These conditions often present similar, debilitating symptoms, including fatigue, pain, dizziness, brain fog, gut issues and post-exertional malaise. Despite their frequent co-occurrence and shared biological mechanisms, they are still too often treated in isolation, leading to fragmented care and delayed diagnoses. Many feel stigmatised or invisible in the healthcare system.
The Overlapping Illness Alliance can offer tools, information, and networks to empower your advocacy – in Westminster and in your constituency.
Let's build a fairer future where these conditions are recognised, respected, and properly treated.