Approach to delivering care

Approach to delivering care

1.1.3 Health and social care professionals should:

• take time to build supportive, trusting and empathetic relationships
• acknowledge to the person the reality of living with ME/CFS and how symptoms could affect them
• use a person-centred approach to care and assessment
• involve families and carers (as appropriate) in discussions and care planning if the person with ME/CFS chooses to include them
• be sensitive to the person's socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic background, beliefs and values, and their gender identity and sexual orientation, and think about how these might influence their experience, understanding and choice of management.

1.1.4 Recognise that people with ME/CFS need:

• timely and accurate diagnosis so they get appropriate care for their symptoms
• regular monitoring and review, particularly when their symptoms are worsening, changing or are severe (see the section on managing flare-ups in symptoms and relapse and review in primary care).

1.1.5 Explain to people with ME/CFS and their family or carers (as appropriate) that they can decline or withdraw from any part of their care and support plan and this will not affect access to any other aspects of their care. They can begin or return to this part of their plan if they wish to.

1.1.6 When working with children and young people with ME/CFS, ensure their voice is heard by:

• taking a child-centred approach, with the communication focusing on them
• discussing and regularly reviewing with them how they want to be involved in decisions about their care
• taking into account that they may find it difficult to communicate and describe their symptoms and may need their parents or carers (as appropriate) to help them
• recognising that they may need to be seen on more than 1 occasion to gain trust (with or without their parents or carers, as appropriate).