Our Work in Health and Social Care
81% of unpaid carers are usually partners or spouses, and 16% are parents or children
Social Care
We want to acknowledge and support the crucial role that family members play in caring for people with ME/CFS and Long Covid. They are often the primary caregivers, helping their loved ones to maintain independence where possible, while trying to get the kind of healthcare that is most needed.
Under the Care Act 2014, everyone who requires help and support at home has the right to a social care needs assessment. A family member can initiate this process by contacting social services through the local authority. Remember, this is every person's entitlement, regardless of the level of assistance they might need. You can also ask a GP or specialist to initiate the assessment process and they will liaise with social care services. A friend can also request an assessment from the local authority with the permission of the individual who needs help at home.
I need a Care Needs Assessment. How do I get one? – Apply for a needs assessment
NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding
People who have a disability or a complex illness are entitled to apply for and if successful receive a fully funded care package. NHS Continuing Healthcare funding is available to adults living in England who have particularly intense, complex, or unpredictable care needs. Importantly, unlike local authority funding, it is not means-tested.
The Continuing Healthcare (CHC) Checklist is the first step in determining whether you are eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare. This initial assessment is conducted by a nurse, doctor, social worker, or other qualified healthcare professional who will briefly evaluate your care needs. If you qualify you should be referred for a full CHC Assessment.
A Continuing Healthcare Assessment will be carried out by your local Integrated Care Board (ICB).
NICE Guideline
We lobbied the National Institute for Health and Social Care Excellence (NICE) when we had a clinical guideline that was unfit for purpose. This resulted in a full review in 2018 and after a thorough consideration of the research evidence and of expert clinical and patient opinion, a new guideline on ME/CFS was published in October 2021.
The charity fully endorses the new NICE Guideline (2021) on ME/CFS. We believe it provides a crucial set of clinical recommendations that, if implemented effectively, will improve health and social care and the quality of life of those affected. Recognising ME/CFS early, receiving an accurate diagnosis, and being promptly referred to an ME/CFS specialist service that has adopted the NICE Guideline recommendations offers the best chance for an individual to learn safe and effective ways of living with the condition.
“We want to ensure every health and social care provider has an up-to-date, evidence-based framework for treating ME/CFS and Long Covid”
We are now working hard to engage with existing services in the NHS and with social care providers to try and ensure that the care and management of people with ME/CFS and Long Covid is evidence-based and adheres to the NICE guideline recommendations.
Our goal is to ensure that individuals with ME/CFS and Long Covid have access to essential health and social care services regardless of where they live in the country.
We aim to bridge the gap and provide support where it is most needed.
We aim to increase the number of services dedicated to ME/CFS and Long Covid while ensuring that these conditions receive as equal consideration as other chronic illnesses in terms of healthcare funding.
By involving patients and carers in every step of the process — from initial planning to ongoing feedback — we hope to ensure that their lived experiences will help to shape healthcare services in the future.
Contact the Healthcare 4 ME care team
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