Herefordshire and Worcestershire Post Viral Fatigue service

Marina Townend, Service Lead/Specialist Occupational Therapist, of the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Post Viral Fatigue service,, has shared her thoughts, about the local situation, and included an update on our local service.
 
Many thanks for contacting me. I haven't got any comments to add at the moment but I am saddened to hear of the closure of the Coventry and Warwick service, and hope this inequality across the ICB will be reconsidered and redressed.  To my surprise, we haven't had a lot of extra out-of-area referrals (yet?) but I am aware that this may be one of the outcomes of the closure. 
 
I've been meaning to contact you to let you know that Tabitha's secondment has ended and we now have a new team lead - Sara Young. Sara was clinical lead therapist in the Post Covid service and also worked in the ME/CFS service for many years before the integration. Tabitha is remaining with the team as an enhanced clinical practitioner (ECP). She will work closely with Dr Lowe, which we hope will help to reduce waiting times for patients, particularly those who don't yet have a diagnosis. 
 
I'm planning to pop into the social group next week  so hope to see you then. 
kind regards, Marina
Marina Townend., Service Lead/ pecialist Occupational Therapist. Post Viral Fatigue service
Malvern Community Hospital | 185 Worcester Road | Malvern | WR14 1EX,, Tel. 01684 612671

For the latest news on the local Post Viral Fatigue Service, see -
 
Herefordshire & Worcestershire Post Viral Fatigue Service - Update (May 2026)
11/5/2026
Herefordshire & Worcestershire Post Viral Fatigue Service for adults with ME/CFS & L/C.
(Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Long Covid).
 
Pdf copy of this at end of May 2026 blog.

Please join us, at our Afternoon Café Meeting on Wednesday, 12 August, from 2.00 - 3.30 pm, in the Next Café, above the Next store at the Elgar Retail Park, Blackpole, Worcester, WR3 8HP.  (There is a lift and escalator in the store, plus plenty of parking, including blue badge spaces near the main entrance.)  

All people with M.E., CFS, FMS, Long Covid, and their carers, friends and relatives, are welcome at all Worcestershire M.E. Social Group gatherings - please join us whenever it suits you.
 
Future Afternoon Café Meetings will also be on the 2nd Wednesday of each month, from 2.00 - 3.30 pm, at the Next Café.  Further information with all 2026 dates listed is available on our Meetings page.

Unfortunately, the Worcestershire meetings are currently only being held in Worcester, but hopefully they will be at further locations in the future.  Venues for previous lunches and afternoon social gatherings are listed on the Worcestershire ME Social Group website, giving an idea of locations where we have previously met.  To have meetings in further locations we need people who are able to attend from the beginning of every meeting.

•  Local News  •  Meetings  •  Worcestershire  •  Worcestershire M.E. Social Group

The ME Association (MEA) recently announced
MP Tessa Munt elected as the new Chair of the APPG on M.E.
January 30, 2026
 
As you may already be aware, Tessa Munt MP has officially been appointed Chair of the APPG on ME, following the group's Annual General Meeting last week.
We are delighted to be working more closely with Tessa and are so thankful for her ongoing commitment to the ME community.
We would also like to sincerely thank Jo Platt MP, and her office, for serving as the APPGs most recent Chair and leading the group since it was reconstituted at the end of 2024. We are very pleased that Jo will be continuing to support the APPG as an Officer and look forward to continuing to work closely with her.
 
The APPG's website has since been updated to reflect these changes.
The Secretariat will be meeting with Tessa’s team next week to agree on upcoming meeting dates and as soon as these are scheduled, they will be shared on the APPG's website so that you can invite your MP with advanced notice.
Additionally, we will be uploading all AGM-related documents, alongside the minutes from the December 2025 meeting, to the APPG's website, once they have been approved.

The APPG on ME website states:
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) is a cross-party group of Members of Parliament and the House of Lords.
All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) are informal groups of MPs and Members of the House of Lords who share an interest in a particular topic. APPGs can’t make laws and are not official parliamentary committees, but can be influential in Parliament and beyond. The UK Parliament website maintains a register of all APPGs.
The APPG on ME seeks to improve health, social care, education and employment opportunities for people with ME and encourage biomedical research into the cause and treatment of ME.
 
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) is a cross-party group of Members of Parliament (MPs) and members of the House of Lords (Peers).
The Group meets several times a year and uses each meeting to focus on a specific issue affecting people with ME.  Sometimes experts are invited to give presentations on a specific topic, to improve the understanding and knowledge of the APPGs members.  This helps members both to support individual constituents and to advocate for policy change in Parliament.
The APPG creates an important setting to show politicians the scale of challenges facing people with ME, and give space for discussions on how best this can be changed.
 
Get to know the APPG on M.E Chair, Officers, and Members, alongside more about the organisations who support our work.  Encourage your MP to attend meetings, and join the APPG on M.E. membership.  Current Membership:
Bradley Thomas MP,for Bromsgrove and the Villages  (APPG for M.E. Officer)
Dame Harriett Baldwin MP for West Worcestershire, (APPG for M.E. Member)
 
 
Action for ME (AfME)
Parliamentary Champions
About the AfME:s Network
Our network of Parliamentary Champions are our 'go-to' individuals when engaging with Government and building support for our campaigns more broadly in Parliament and beyond.
Our champions are supportive of our work to create a world without ME and give a voice to the estimated 1.35m people in the UK who live with ME or ME-like symptoms, including post-exertional malaise.
 
What does a Parliamentary Champion do?
Parliamentary Champions support us in raising awareness of ME by helping to include ME and related issues in parliamentary business and working with media to highlight key campaigns.
MPs and Peers have a wealth of knowledge so our Champions may also suggest other ways to raise the profile of ME according to their skillset
 
Dame Harriett Baldwin, MP for West Worcestershire, (a AfME, Champion) stated -
“I am proud to become the latest Parliamentary Champion for Action for ME, supporting their vital work to raise awareness of this often misunderstood illness.
My commitment is to ensure that the voices of those living with ME are heard in Parliament, and I will work with colleagues to push for meaningful change to improve the support and services available to people with ME.”

List of Herefordshire and Worcestershire MPs with email/websites is
also available for you on the Social Group:s website https://worcsmegroup.weebly.com/links.html#4WorcsMPs
for your convenience.