At a recent planning meeting for Long Covid services hosted by an Integrated Care Board (ICB), the Health and Social Care (HASC) team delivered a presentation to service leads from Adult and Paediatric Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long Covid (LC) services. A service development lead was also in attendance.
The presentation shared key insights and recommendations based on local engagement, including:
- Local patient and carer experiences, highlighting key priorities for an effective and compassionate service;
- Current gaps in adherence to NICE call for greater alignment with best practice.
- Local views on ME/CFS and LC Service Integration;
- A vision for an ideal NHS service, informed by our pilot project data collection.
The session was well-received, with attendees describing it as very informative, and there was interest in ongoing collaboration with the HASC team.
We believe that a collaborative, patient-informed approach to service design and delivery lays the groundwork for meaningful improvements in patient outcomes. This approach is also part of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England, which outlines, “Providers will be rewarded based on how well they improve outcomes for each individual, as well as how well they involve people in the design of their care.”
NHS services seeking support in patient engagement and co-production for ME/CFS and LC services are encouraged to contact the Health and Social Care team at health@meassociation.org.uk