The ME Association is one of the 58 organisations to sign Long Covid Advocacy's open letter regarding the framing of Long Covid in the Royal College of Psychiatrists 2026 International Congress. The letter has also been signed and supported by over 1,200 individuals.
Every signature has contributed to a clear and collective call for scientific rigour, respectful discourse, and recognition of the biomedical evidence base in discussions of ME, Long Covid and related conditions.
Long Covid Advocacy
Long Covid Advocacy has sent the letter to President-elect Professor Subodh Dave and President Professor Lade Smith, via email and post, alongside the full signatory list.
Open Letter: Key Points
- Ensure that Congress programming on ME and Long Covid reflects current biomedical evidence and clinical guidance, rather than relying on outdated behavioural or psychosocial frameworks.
- Review how session framing and speaker sequencing may influence the interpretation and presentation of evidence.
- Recognise patient expertise as an independent and valuable source of knowledge, rather than positioning it within pre-existing theoretical models.
- Align all educational content and outputs with NICE Guideline NG206 and the current evidence base on Long Covid, ensuring that psychological aspects of care complement, rather than supersede or redefine, the underlying biological condition.
List of Signatories
Long Covid Advocacy: Further Information
Long Covid Advocacy emailed the first-wave letter to the Royal College and Prof Subodh Dave on the 11th May and to date they have not received a response. They have now engaged a second wave of outreach via email and posted a letter to the President-elect Prof Subodh Dave and President Lade Smith.
As part of ongoing engagement, they have also requested a meeting with Professor Subodh Dave and colleagues at the Royal College of Psychiatrists to discuss the concerns raised in the letter and to explore constructive ways forward.
Long Covid Advocacy will keep us updated on any developments as they arise.
MEA Comment
We do now have a large number of health professionals and patient support organisations, who have signed this follow up letter to the Royal College of Psychiatrists in which we express serious concerns about the information they are providing on Long Covid and ME/CFS.
Disappointingly, we don’t yet have a response to the original correspondence.
Many thanks to Long Covid Advocacy for organising this open letter.