Written question asked by Countess of Mar (Crossbench) on Monday, 20 March 2017, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 3 April 2017. It was answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy (Conservative) on Tuesday, 28 March 2017 on behalf of the Department of Health.

---

ME/CFS

Question

To ask Her Majesty’s Government upon what scientific basis the Expert Reference Group for the Joint Commissioning Panel for Mental Health (JCPMH), in publishing their guide on Commissioning for Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS), based their decision that myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) should be categorised as a functional somatic disorder, given that the World Health Organisation’s mandatory International Classification of Diseases categorises the illness as neurological under ICD 10-G93.3, and that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not listed ME/CFS as a functional somatic disorder; and whether they will withdraw the recommendation for cognitive behaviour therapy and graded exercise to be commissioned for patients with ME/CFS until NICE Guideline CG53 is reviewed.

Answer

The Joint Commissioning Panel for Mental Health is not a Government body, it is a collaboration between 17 leading organisations including the Department of Health, and is co-chaired by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of General Practitioners. The Department was not closely involved in the writing or production of this document.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently reviewing the guidance GC53 to consider whether it should be updated to take account of new evidence. NICE are expected to reach a decision on whether the guidance should be updated in summer 2017.

---

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

HL6204

Session

2016-17

Subjects

ME/CFS

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk