No comparative assessment has been made. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence currently recommends separate pathways for the assessment, treatment, and management of the long term effects of COVID-19 and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

In October 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published guidance for health and social care professionals ‘Myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy)/chronic fatigue syndrome: diagnosis and management’, which is available at the following link:

http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng206

Whilst these are not mandatory, clinicians and commissioners are expected to take the guidance fully into account in designing services to meet the needs of the local population and work towards implementation over time.

In October 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published guidance for health and social care professionals ‘Myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy)/chronic fatigue syndrome: diagnosis and management’, which is available at the following link:

http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng206

Whilst these are not mandatory, clinicians and commissioners are expected to take the guidance fully into account in designing services to meet the needs of the local population and work towards implementation over time.

From 1 April 2022, free universal access to lateral flow device tests for the public in England will end. We will continue to make testing available for a small number of at risk groups. Further details on eligible groups will be made available in due course.

The department is committed to supporting pupils with medical conditions at school to ensure they have full access to education.

In 2014, the government introduced a new duty on schools to support all pupils with medical conditions. It published statutory guidance on this, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

The guidance does not specify which medical conditions should be supported in schools. Instead, it focuses on how to meet the needs of each individual child, and on how their medical condition impacts their school life.

Schools also have duties under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments and to not discriminate against disabled children, including those with long-term health conditions, in relation to their education and associated services. Schools must make reasonable adjustments to their practices, procedures, and policies to ensure that they are not putting those with long-term health problems at a substantial disadvantage.

The department does not hold data on the number of children who have an education, health, and care plan (EHCP) due to having myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).

The department does publish information on the number of EHCPs held by school pupils by type of need, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/fast-track/ad01069e-f490-4855-9b2c-7f784a98758d. However, this does not include data on ME specifically.

No specific assessment has been made. However, recent data from the UK Biobank estimates that there are over 240,000 adults aged between 40 and 69 years old in England with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The number of children and young people diagnosed with ME is unknown.

There are no current plans to do so. However, we will continue to keep all public health guidance under review.

On 25 February 2022, the Government issued updated guidance for those previously considered clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV), which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19

For most people considered CEV, they are advised to follow general guidance to prevent the risk of infection, in addition to any further advice from their general practitioner or consultant.

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. Using SNOMED CT, all content for myalgic encephalomyelitis/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.

There have been no specific discussions. The Department continues to consider options to improve outcomes for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and their families, including the potential development of a national strategy.

No specific assessment of the services available to people with myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) has been made. Clinical commissioning groups are best placed to plan, assess and commission ME/CFS care services. These processes are subject to local prioritisation and funding and should take into account best practice guidance, such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) most recent guidelines. Whilst guidelines are not mandatory, clinicians and commissioners are expected to take them fully into account in designing services that meet the needs of their local population and to work towards their implementation over time.

We continue to consider options to improve outcomes for people with ME/CFS and their families, including the potential development of a national strategy. The Government invests in health research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). The NIHR and MRC welcome high-quality applications for research into all aspects of ME/CFS. While there are no plans to provide additional funding at this time, both funders are considering how they can support the academic community to drive research in this underserved area.

No specific assessment of the services available to people with myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) has been made. Clinical commissioning groups are best placed to plan, assess and commission ME/CFS care services. These processes are subject to local prioritisation and funding and should take into account best practice guidance, such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) most recent guidelines. Whilst guidelines are not mandatory, clinicians and commissioners are expected to take them fully into account in designing services that meet the needs of their local population and to work towards their implementation over time.

We continue to consider options to improve outcomes for people with ME/CFS and their families, including the potential development of a national strategy. The Government invests in health research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). The NIHR and MRC welcome high-quality applications for research into all aspects of ME/CFS. While there are no plans to provide additional funding at this time, both funders are considering how they can support the academic community to drive research in this underserved area.

No specific assessment of the services available to people with myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) has been made. Clinical commissioning groups are best placed to plan, assess and commission ME/CFS care services. These processes are subject to local prioritisation and funding and should take into account best practice guidance, such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) most recent guidelines. Whilst guidelines are not mandatory, clinicians and commissioners are expected to take them fully into account in designing services that meet the needs of their local population and to work towards their implementation over time.

We continue to consider options to improve outcomes for people with ME/CFS and their families, including the potential development of a national strategy. The Government invests in health research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). The NIHR and MRC welcome high-quality applications for research into all aspects of ME/CFS. While there are no plans to provide additional funding at this time, both funders are considering how they can support the academic community to drive research in this underserved area.

No specific assessment of the services available to people with myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) has been made. Clinical commissioning groups are best placed to plan, assess and commission ME/CFS care services. These processes are subject to local prioritisation and funding and should take into account best practice guidance, such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) most recent guidelines. Whilst guidelines are not mandatory, clinicians and commissioners are expected to take them fully into account in designing services that meet the needs of their local population and to work towards their implementation over time.

We continue to consider options to improve outcomes for people with ME/CFS and their families, including the potential development of a national strategy. The Government invests in health research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). The NIHR and MRC welcome high-quality applications for research into all aspects of ME/CFS. While there are no plans to provide additional funding at this time, both funders are considering how they can support the academic community to drive research in this underserved area.

The information is not available in the format requested.

No specific assessment has been made. The National Institute for Health Research has funded studies to improve the understanding of and address the longer-term effects of COVID-19. Currently there are no published findings on the long term impact of COVID-19 in people with a diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome from these studies.

Recent data from the UK Biobank suggests that there are over 250,000 people in England and Wales with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Information on the number of people in employment with a diagnosis of ME/CFS is not held centrally.

The Government is funding research into myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) through the National Institute for Health Research and the Medical Research Council. Current research projects include DecodeME, looking into the causes of the condition. In November 2021, we met with a group of research experts on ME/CFS and continue to work with stakeholders to consider how best to support continued research. NHS England and NHS Improvement are also collaborating with stakeholders, including Versus Arthritis, to coordinate support for people with chronic long-term pain conditions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published its guideline on chronic pain in April 2021, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng193

NICE published its guideline on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ME/CFS in October 2021, which is available at the following link:

http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng206

Whilst guidelines are not mandatory, clinicians and commissioners are expected to take them fully into account in designing services that meet the needs of their local population and to work towards their implementation over time.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is working with the National Health Service to support the implementation of its guidance. While the guidance describes best practice and should be taken into account in the treatment of patients, it is not mandatory and does not override a medical practitioner’s clinical judgement.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an arm's length body of the Department with responsibility for developing evidence-based guidance for the health and care system including for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME).

To increase awareness, support and understanding of CFS/ME, NICE recently updated their CFS/ME guidance. The guidance includes specific recommendations on providing information and support to people with CFS/ME including personalised advice about managing symptoms.

Additionally, the guidance recommends that training for all staff delivering care to people with CFS/ME should include materials helping them to understand what CFS/ME is, how it is diagnosed and managed.

NICE is working with system partners to support the implementation of the guideline.