The publication of a review into ‘Anomalies in the review process and interpretation of the evidence in the NICE guideline for chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis’ by Prof Peter White et al has been covered in the press – most noticeable by ‘The Guardian’ yesterday – with the review’s authors considering that the 2021 NICE guideline changes to GET and CBT recommendations were a ‘controversial U-turn’ from the earlier version.
NICE hold great store by their scientific rigor and processes – as all involved as Stakeholders will know – and ME Research UK supports absolutely NICE’s statement that “We reject entirely the conclusions drawn by the authors of this analysis, and in particular their conclusion that NICE has not followed international standards for guideline development which has led to guidance that could harm rather than help patients. In developing our guideline, as well as bringing together the best available scientific evidence, we also listened to the real, lived experience and testimony of people with ME/CFS to produce a balanced guideline which has their wellbeing at its heart. … We will provide a detailed response to this analysis and in the meantime, we are confident that system partners and the ME/CFS community will continue to work together to make sure the important recommendations in our guideline are implemented.”
