In January 2026, and repeated in June, @Lucibee, an advocate for people with ME/CFS submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to NHS England. She initially asked how many people had completed the NHS England e-Learning for Healthcare (elfh) modules on ME/CFS and subsequently how many people had both complete/incomplete sessions recorded.
With kind permission the ME Association can now share the results of that FOI request.
FOI results summarised by Lucibee
I made a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to NHS England to ask how many people had completed the new learning modules on ME/CFS that had been made available on the NHS e-Learning Hub since May 2024.
This initial request revealed that only 371 people had completed the Introductory module, of which 227 were from NHS accounts. More worryingly, only 33 NHS accounts had completed the severe ME module, which had been available since September 2025.
In June 2026, I repeated the request but also asked how many people had accessed the modules, not just completed them. This showed that although 1073 people had accessed the Introductory module (576 NHS accounts), only half of these (547) had completed the module (293 NHS accounts).
Those accessing and completing the severe ME module had increased only slightly up to March 2026 (up to 51 total completions from NHS accounts out of 96 accessing the module). And despite the release of a more widely available version of the severe ME module, only 154 people had accessed it by 20 June 2026.
Hundreds of thousands of people work in the NHS, so these numbers indicate that only a tiny fraction have accessed these learning modules to date, despite promised actions from the Government in the ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan in July 2025.
Lucibee
About the NHS England ME/CFS e-Learning Modules
The NHS England e-Learning for Healthcare (elfh) ME/CFS programme was developed to help healthcare professionals improve their understanding of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).
The modules are aligned with current clinical guidance and are designed to support better recognition, assessment and management of the condition across healthcare settings.
The programme aims to provide healthcare professionals with accessible, evidence-based learning that reflects current best practice and promotes a more informed approach to caring for people with ME/CFS.
The modules cover key aspects of ME/CFS, including:
- Understanding the condition and its impact.
- Recognising the signs and symptoms of ME/CFS.
- Assessment and diagnosis.
- Principles of person-centred care.
- Symptom management and support.
- The importance of recognising post-exertional malaise (PEM) as a core feature of ME/CFS.
- Applying current NICE guideline recommendations in clinical practice.
The e-learning is intended for a wide range of healthcare professionals, including GPs, nurses, allied health professionals and other NHS staff who may encounter people with ME/CFS in their clinical practice.
Education plays an important role in improving awareness and understanding of ME/CFS. High-quality training can help healthcare professionals recognise the condition more confidently, deliver appropriate care, and improve the experiences of people living with ME/CFS.
Moving forward (H4ME team)
This information obtained through this FOI request provides useful insights into the reach of these educational resources and the lack of uptake by healthcare professionals.
A key barrier to implementation is low awareness of the ME/CFS e-learning modules amongst healthcare professionals (HCP). NHS Trusts are responsible for making
elfh modules more accessible by linking them to their Electronic Staff Record (ESR) learning systems, many have not done so, limiting visibility and uptake.
As the ME/CFS modules are not mandatory, Trusts are unlikely to link them with HCPs ESR. A national promotion strategy is needed, involving NHS organisations, professional bodies, charities, MPs, healthcare media and patient groups to raise awareness and encourage widespread use.
These modules were created to further inform healthcare professionals about the complex, multisystem disease ME/CFS. As one of the largest ME/CFS charities in the UK, we intend to continue to share these NHS modules as a vital resource to help further educate and as part of continuing professional development.
Contact the Healthcare 4 ME care team
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Further information
- The ME Association: NHS England Launches New E-learning Module on ME/CFS | May 21, 2024
- The ME Association: NHS England Launches the Second E-learning Module on ME/CFS | January 20, 2025
- The ME Association: NHS England Launches Third E-learning Module on Severe ME/CFS | October 2, 2025
- The ME Association: NHS e-Learning Modules Poster | August, 5 2026