No assessment has been made of the number of people in each age group who have suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome in each of the last five years. With the exception of cancer, there is no comprehensive central record of disease diagnosis for any condition. In 2007 The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence produced the clinical guidance ‘Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy): Diagnosis and management of CFS/ME in adults and children’, which estimates that the annual prevalence is approximately 4,000 cases per million of the population.

Atos have contracts with the Department to conduct assessments pertaining to different welfare benefits. Within these contracts, Atos do not use or conduct any form of therapy with any claimant and they do not refer claimants for any therapy.

DWP’s internal occupational Employee Assistance Programme provides the opportunity for face to face counselling with staff where it is appropriate. Some counselling practitioners may use CBT techniques in their sessions depending on the counsellor’s training and preferred therapy techniques. Employee occupational and health records are confidential and DWP has not carried out any analysis of the efficacy of the use of CBT for its employees. Our understanding is that the use of CBT is minimal and therefore any analysis would not be statistically significant.

With the exception of cancer, there is no comprehensive central record of disease diagnosis for any condition. In 2007, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence produced the clinical guidance, Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy): Diagnosis and management of CFS/ME in adults and children which estimates that the annual prevalence is approximately 4000 cases per million of the population.

No assessment has been made of the potential links between abnormalities in the immune system and myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). However, we are aware of at least one small study involving 30 patients that suggested the immune system may have a role to play in the development of ME.

The Department has commissioned no research in the last three years on the causes of ME and has had no specific discussions or correspondence with the Medical Research Council (MRC) on its level of funding for research on the biomedical causes of ME in the last 12 months.

The MRC, which is an independent body funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, has identified research into CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)/ME as a research priority and the Council has implemented a number of initiatives to stimulate high quality research in this area. The MRC's current priorities for this area are outlined in a highlight notice, which can be found on its website at:

http://www.mrc.ac.uk/funding/how-we-fund-research/highlight-notices/cfsme-highight-notice/

The MRC does not commission research but in 2011 issued a targeted call for proposals to help increase the understanding of the mechanisms of the condition and £1.65 million was awarded to support five research projects addressing a number of priorities in CFS/ME research identified by the research community.

The MRC welcomes applications on all aspects of human health from the research community and proposals compete for the funding available. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals submitted.

No assessment has been made of the potential links between abnormalities in the immune system and myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). However, we are aware of at least one small study involving 30 patients that suggested the immune system may have a role to play in the development of ME.

The Department has commissioned no research in the last three years on the causes of ME and has had no specific discussions or correspondence with the Medical Research Council (MRC) on its level of funding for research on the biomedical causes of ME in the last 12 months.

The MRC, which is an independent body funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, has identified research into CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)/ME as a research priority and the Council has implemented a number of initiatives to stimulate high quality research in this area. The MRC's current priorities for this area are outlined in a highlight notice, which can be found on its website at:

http://www.mrc.ac.uk/funding/how-we-fund-research/highlight-notices/cfsme-highight-notice/

The MRC does not commission research but in 2011 issued a targeted call for proposals to help increase the understanding of the mechanisms of the condition and £1.65 million was awarded to support five research projects addressing a number of priorities in CFS/ME research identified by the research community.

The MRC welcomes applications on all aspects of human health from the research community and proposals compete for the funding available. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals submitted.

No assessment has been made of the potential links between abnormalities in the immune system and myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). However, we are aware of at least one small study involving 30 patients that suggested the immune system may have a role to play in the development of ME.

The Department has commissioned no research in the last three years on the causes of ME and has had no specific discussions or correspondence with the Medical Research Council (MRC) on its level of funding for research on the biomedical causes of ME in the last 12 months.

The MRC, which is an independent body funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, has identified research into CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)/ME as a research priority and the Council has implemented a number of initiatives to stimulate high quality research in this area. The MRC's current priorities for this area are outlined in a highlight notice, which can be found on its website at:

http://www.mrc.ac.uk/funding/how-we-fund-research/highlight-notices/cfsme-highight-notice/

The MRC does not commission research but in 2011 issued a targeted call for proposals to help increase the understanding of the mechanisms of the condition and £1.65 million was awarded to support five research projects addressing a number of priorities in CFS/ME research identified by the research community.

The MRC welcomes applications on all aspects of human health from the research community and proposals compete for the funding available. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals submitted.

In 2007 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produced the clinical guidance, ‘Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy): Diagnosis and management of CFS/ME in adults and children’. This guidance set out best practice on the diagnosis, treatment care and support of children and adults with CFS/ME. Information on CFS/ME diagnosis and treatment can also be accessed via the NHS Evidence and NICE Clinical Knowledge summaries websites.

The 2014-15 Choice Framework and the NHS Constitution, both available on .gov.uk, set out when patients have legal rights to choice.

The NHS Constitution states that patients have the right to make choices about the services commissioned by National Health Service bodies and to information to support these choices.

The 2014-15 NHS Choice Framework establishes that if a patient needs to see a consultant or specialist as an outpatient for a physical or mental health condition, they can choose the organisation that provides their NHS care and treatment anywhere in England for their first outpatient appointment. They can also choose which consultant-led team or which mental health team led by a named health care professional will be in charge of their NHS care and treatment for their first outpatient appointment.

The organisation can be any clinically appropriate health service provider with whom any clinical commissioning group or NHS England has a commissioning contract for the service required as a result of the referral, but the team must be clinically appropriate and led by a named consultant or health professional who is employed or engaged by that health service provider.

There are also times that patients are not able to make a choice, and these are outlined in the Choice Framework and the Handbook to the NHS Constitution. For example, patients can only choose a hospital or clinic that offers the right treatment and care for their condition. Furthermore, if patients need urgent or emergency treatment, they cannot choose who they see.

If a patient, who is not covered by the exemptions, has not been offered choice, or denied the opportunity to exercise choice by a clinical commissioning group, the 2014-15 Choice Framework sets out a clear complaints procedure.