MP Mrs Sharon Hodgson tabled 3 written questions about ME/CFS on 4th March 2024 with all being answered by Rt Hon Andrew Stephenson, Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care) on 8th March 2024. Each covers an important area of concern.
Q – To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she has taken to ensure that the SNOMED CT classification system used by GPs in primary care is (a) adequate and (b) used consistently for diagnosing myalgic encephalomyelitis.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Diagnosis – Question for Department of Health and Social Care UIN 16657, tabled on 4 March 2024
A – The Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine – Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT) is the structured clinical vocabulary for use in an electronic health record. It is a contractual requirement for all National Health Service healthcare providers in England to use SNOMED CT for capturing clinical terms, including diagnoses, within electronic patient record systems.
Within SNOMED CT, all content for myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome is contained within a single overarching code, with linked codes for mild, moderate, and severe forms. These can be used by all NHS healthcare providers, including general practitioners.
Updates to the United Kingdom’s edition of SNOMED CT are made by NHS England, with any user being able to submit requests for new or changed concepts and codes, via a central portal.
Q – To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what research the National Institute for Health and Care Research is undertaking on the potential link between Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and long covid.
A – The Government has invested more than £50 million into 22 research projects for long COVID, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Long Covid – Question for Department of Health and Social Care UIN 16632, tabled on 4 March 2024
In the last five years, the NIHR has allocated approximately £3.44 million to support nine research projects on myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome. The NIHR is also co-funding, with the Medical Research Council, a £3.2 million study called DecodeME, which is the world’s largest genetic study of the disease.
The Department commissions research through the NIHR. It is not currently specifically funding research on potential links between ME and long COVID, but it welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health.
Q – To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to fund research to (a) tackle the causes of and (b) treat Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Research – Question for Department of Health and Social Care UIN 16631, tabled on 4 March 2024
A – The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including on the causes and treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).
In the last five years, the NIHR has allocated approximately £3.44 million to support nine research projects on ME and chronic fatigue syndrome. The NIHR is also co-funding, with the Medical Research Council, a £3.2 million study called DecodeME, which is the world’s largest genetic study of the disease.
