UK government on 22nd July 2025, a few days before parliament rises for the summer recess has published its Delivery Plan for ME/CFS. The 3 plus year process covering research, living with ME/CFS and attitudes and education.
In the Press Release unfortunately entitled ‘Boost in support for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome or ME’ the government lays out its views and actions as it aims to ‘Better care for patients living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, with plans to invest in research and offer closer to home.’
As the Release states (edited) –
The government has committed to changing attitudes and transforming care for patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/ CFS).
The condition affects approximately 390,000 people in the UK, causing debilitating fatigue, sleep problems and difficulties with thinking, concentration and memory. The impact of this condition varies between cases, but severe ME/CFS, which is thought to affect a quarter of those diagnosed, leave patients housebound or unable to work.
The plan published today provides the foundations for significant improvements in all key areas that affect people living with ME/CFS in England, many of whom currently struggle to access appropriate care tailored to their complex condition.
As a priority, the plan will introduce new training for NHS healthcare professionals, featuring up-to-date learning resources to increase understand and ensure signs aren’t missed. This will help combat the stigma faced by people living with ME/CFS, which stems from a lack of awareness about the condition.
The rollout of neighbourhood health services as set out in the government’s 10 Year Health Plan will also see ME/CFS patients able to access care closer to home, with specially-trained staff able to support those with complex needs.
Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton, said:
ME/CFS is a debilitating illness that can severely limit patients’ ability to participate in everyday activities, maintain employment, or enjoy family and social life.
Today’s plan will help tackle the stigma and lack of awareness of this condition through improved training for NHS staff.
And through our neighbourhood health services, we will ensure patients suffering from the effects of ME/CFS can access quality care, closer to home, as pledged in our 10 Year Health Plan.
Our Plan for Change is transforming how patients experience care and this plan represents a comprehensive approach to addressing the long-standing gaps in care and support for people with these conditions, with patient access to appropriate care at its heart.
The plan includes increased funding for research, awarded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, into how existing medicines can be used to for ME/CFS. This initiative aims to give patients access to a wider range of potential treatments.
It will also address the specific needs of children and young people, ensuring they receive appropriate and timely support in education settings.
Recognising that ME/CFS affects people’s ability to work, the plan includes wider government initiatives to address issues with benefit assessment processes and provide support to help patients with long-term conditions and disabilities find and maintain meaningful employment where possible.
Offering care closer to home forms part of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan to rebuild the NHS, putting patients’ needs first and delivering effective, accessible treatment.
The government will continue to work with stakeholders and build on the foundations of actions in the Final Delivery Plan well beyond its publication, reaffirming our commitment to ongoing development and improvement. This all forms part of the government’s Plan for Change to build an NHS fit for the future and one which offers the highest-quality, personalised care.
Ministerial letter
To coincide with the press release, Ashley Dalton MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention, issued a letter which acknowledged that “People living with ME/CFS often face stigma and misunderstanding, stemming from a lack of awareness and education about the condition. This lack of awareness and understanding can significantly impact the quality and availability of services and support for those affected.”
Press Coverage
- itv x – Government pledges to ‘transform care’ for people with ME
- The Independent – Woman’s death exposes need for ME care reforms
- The Independent – ME care reforms promised after woman’s tragic death
- BBC Breakfast – iplayer (1.13.20 to 1.26.11)
- The Times (paywall) – Doctors to be trained on ME in NHS plan to transform care
- The Times (paywall) – My daughter died from ME. This new plan fails her and others like her
- Pulse – GPs to support delivery of ME/CFS care under new NHS plan
- Channel 4 – ME Delivery Plan: will it make a difference?
- Healthcare Management – NHS professionals to be trained on ME and chronic fatigue syndrome
- The Star – What is ME and the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome as government announces new NHS care plan for patients
- Medscape UK – After a Long Delay, ME/CFS Strategy Finally Arrives
- BBC Radio Scotland – iplayer (1.38.32 to 1.53.00)
- 5 Live Breakfast
- Times Radio – interview with Sean O’Neill
- BBC World at One
