The Countess of Mar intervened in a short debate prompted by a question about the funding of NHS clinical networks from Labour peer Baroness Thornton in the Lords on 12 December 2012.
The Countess, a cross-bencher who chairs the Forward ME Group which includes The ME Association, commented:
My Lords, the people with CFSME were greatly heartened in 2008 when the Chief Medical Officer ring-fenced £8 million to set up clinical networks on their behalf. They have become disillusioned as the funding of these networks has gradually been cut. There is also no provision for children in the clinical networks. What priority is given to CFSME?
Earl Howe, the Conservative Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Department of Health, failed to pick up the Countess' points when responding for the Governnent to interventions from a number of peers.