Written question asked by Gordon Marsden (Labour) on Thursday, 8 November 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 12 March 2002. It was answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern (Labour) on Tuesday, 12 March 2002 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the work of his Department's Working Party on ME/CFS; and when he expects that working party will publish a report. - Inc ref to 5 March 2002, 381 c192W and http://www.doh.gov.uk/cmo/cfsmereport/index.htm.

Answer: Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the work of his Department's working party on ME/CFS; and when he expects that working party will publish a report. [14708] Jacqui Smith: I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W. The independent CFS/ME working group was set up to review the field of CFS/ME with the aim of providing best practice guidance for clinicians, managers, patients, and carers to improve the quality of care and treatment. Their independent report was published on 11 January 2002 and is available on http://www.doh.gov.uk/cmo/ cfsmereport/index.htm. The report has identified CFS/ME as a specific illness. The report makes a number of recommendations about recognition and definition of the illness: treatment and care; health service planning; education and awareness; and research. We shall be bringing this report to the attention of chief executives of health authorities, trusts and primary care trusts so that they can consider its implications when commissioning services.

Secondary information