Yesterday (22 March 2026), BBC Wales posted a new article about the lack of specialist services in Wales for people with ME/CFS, particularly for those with Severe ME. This has been followed by significant BBC Radio Wales coverage, including an interview with Dr Charles Shepherd, MEA Hon. Medical Adviser.
Extracts
Tomos Sleep, from Swansea, was diagnosed with severe myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, external, in 2023. The cause of ME is unknown and there is no cure.
Tomos is one of thousands with the condition in Wales who campaigners say are “invisible”, with healthcare services described as “a desert” for those most severely affected.
Campaigners are calling for a national expert group, an all-Wales clinical lead and investment in research into ME.
Rob Messenger, from Carmarthenshire, campaigns on behalf of patients and carers after two of his children were diagnosed with ME in their teens.
“We've met lots of very caring professionals throughout the years, people who have wanted to help, who have done their best,” Rob said.
“But there is no specialist to turn to.”
He added: “The Welsh government has given some funding for the seven health boards to establish some services for people with ME and some other conditions, but without an all-Wales plan for those to be implemented, there's a bit of a postcode lottery developing.
“For people with severe and very severe ME, it's worse than a postcode lottery. It's pretty much a desert.”
BBC Radio Wales Coverage and Dr Charles Shepherd Interview:
There has also been some coverage of this article with a segment on BBC Radio Wales, and Dr Charles Shepherd was separately interviewed about ME/CFS as part of Jason Mohammad's ‘The Phone In' (timestamp 11:10):