Photo of Mabon ap Gwynfor Image cropped (original image here), shared under Creative Commons’ Attribution 4.0 International licence
Last Tuesday (28.07.26), WAMES (Welsh Association of ME & CFS Support) representatives met with Welsh Minister for Health and Care, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS (Plaid Cymru), accompanied by representatives from Action for ME, Severe ME Difrifol Cymru (SMEDC) and Long Covid Support.
They each presented one of 4 proposals to improve services for people with ME & Long Covid:
- Bring together a National Expert Working Group of health care professionals and people with lived experience to co-produce an All-Wales Strategy and Delivery Plan for ME and Long Covid to ensure equity of service and compliance with NICE guidance across all ages and all severity levels. [WAMES]
- Appoint an All-Wales Clinical Lead / Medical Consultant for ME and Long Covid to coordinate care across health boards, reduce regional variation, support complex cases, guide training, lead and direct the development of treatment for ME and Long Covid, and keep Wales in step with emerging research evidence. [SMEDC]
- Develop a Welsh Government-led ME/CFS and Long Covid Research Strategy by 2027 to accelerate research through Wales’ Life Sciences sector. The strategy would bring together expertise from across the Welsh research and health communities, set clear national priorities, and support the translation of emerging findings from DecodeME, LOCOME and Sequence ME & Long Covid into effective diagnostics and treatments in collaboration with leading research groups in the UK and internationally. [AfME]
- Consider long-term sequelae in any future pandemic planning or preventive strategies starting with an urgent review of Infection Prevention Control (IPC) guidance in healthcare. [Long COVID Support]
Prior to this, on Thursday 16th July, the minister made a common response to 4 written questions on ME submitted by MS Darren Millar (Conservative, Clwyd):
- What interim support is the Welsh Government providing for people with severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS) while longer-term services are being developed?
- Will the Welsh Government commit to appointing an All-Wales Clinical Lead for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS)?
- Will the Welsh Government develop an All-Wales Delivery Plan for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), including agreed pathways, education and training, and quality standards?
- What action has the Welsh Government taken in response to the concerns identified in Prevention of Future Deaths Reports involving individuals with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS)?
Minister's response to questions
“Support for people with infection-associated chronic illness, including ME/CFS, and those with similar or overlapping persistent physical symptoms but no diagnosis, is available in every health board through Adferiad (Recovery) funded services. These services continue to be supported by £8m Welsh Government investment.
My officials and I continue to work with stakeholders and partners, including people with lived experience of infection-associated chronic illness and the organisations that represent them. These discussions are helping to shape the future development of services, and have included proposals around clinical leadership, a national strategy, quality standards, and education and training.
Investment in Adferiad services has helped develop support for people with a range of associated and overlapping conditions, where very little previously existed in Wales. It has also helped build clinical expertise. I recognise the challenges people face and that there is more to do, but we now have a stronger foundation on which further improvements can be built. Co-production remains central to our approach, and I expect health boards to continue putting people with lived experience at the heart of service development.
Although recommendations in the Prevention of Future Deaths Reports are not directed to Welsh Government, I recognise the importance of embedding the learning from these tragic deaths. Officials have recently discussed findings from relevant reports with health boards, and this learning will inform future developments to ensure people in Wales receive appropriate, safe, and compassionate care.”
Mabon ap Gwynfor MS, Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
While in opposition, the minister has previously been supportive of ME in the Senedd. In early 2024, the response to Mabon ap Gwynfor's written question, “What action has the Government taken to develop a delivery plan and strategy for ME?”, from his predecessor as Minister, Jeremy Miles (Labour), outlined the funding to Welsh Health Boards' Adferiad (Recovery) services with their responsibilities to provide services for ME & Long Covid patients, and to include appropriate patient representation in service development. Last December, Mabon ap Gwynfo spoke in the Senedd debate on Severe ME.
Further information
- WAMES: Meeting with Health Minister – ME & LC services in Wales
- WAMES: Health Minister answers questions about ME/CFS in the Senedd
- Severe ME Difrifol Cymru: Welsh Senedd votes in favour of Motion 8884 – Severe/Very Severe ME
- The ME Association: Welsh Senedd debate on ME | December 16, 2025