Herefordshire & Worcestershire Post Viral Fatigue Service for adults with ME/CFS & LC. (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Long Covid).
 
NHS ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and LC (Long Covid) Specialist Services Update (August 2025).
 
 
From the GP referral form on the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Post Viral Fatigue Service website:  'The PVF Service has access to a specialist GP and Consultant to support the confirmation of a diagnosis where required and provide specialist advice and review if necessary.  The GP specialist will triage new patients into the service and refer to the consultant where appropriate. Any complications or complexities will be managed by the Consultant.' (May 2025).
 
The Herefordshire and Worcestershire Post Viral Fatigue Service can be contacted through Malvern Community Hospital. (Contact Information: 01684 612671  [email protected]  and their webpage Herefordshire and Worcestershire Post Viral Fatigue Services).  The Herefordshire and Worcestershire Post Viral Fatigue Service provides assessment and rehabilitation to support adults with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long Covid (LC) to self-manage their symptoms.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Post Viral Fatigue Service Update (August 2025)
Following received from Marina Townend (ME/CFS & LC Service Lead/Specialist Occupational Therapist).
 
The new ME/CFS & LC team for the two counties, from August 2025 is:
Marina Townend (Service Lead/ Specialist Occupational Therapist) full-time
Tabitha Richards (nurse and team lead) full-time
Dr Sarah-Jane Lowe (GP with a specialist interest) part-time
Rashmi Bansal (physiotherapist) full-time
Dr Helen Ayres (psychologist) part-time
Dr Mya Krishnan (psychologist) part-time
Sara Young (occupational therapist) full-time
Janet Piper (occupational therapist) part-time
Ceri Howell (therapy assistant) full-time
Kate Jewell (administrator) full-time  Kirsti Barnes (administrator) part-time
 
The Consultant supporting us is Dr Bruno Silva, based in the ME/CFS service at the Barberry, Birmingham.  He provides supervision and guidance each month, and will see the most complex patients if we need him to (but this will not be the norm).  
 
We have just advertised for a part-time dietitian too, so there may be someone else to add if we are successful in recruiting.  Although it looks like a lot of clinical hours, most people are part-time  - but we have certainly grown since I started in the ME/CFS service 10 years ago, and it feels very positive to have such a varied multi-disciplinary team. 
 
Regarding the DHSC ME/CFS Delivery plan, I welcome it's publication and think it is a bit of a landmark to have the condition recognised in this way.  Provision of care closer to home, improving training for all health and social care staff, expanded NHS ME/CFS specialist services and funded opportunities for research into ME/CFS are much needed and it feels important that that is publicly recognised. However I think most of us also feel disappointed that the plan does not offer sufficient urgency, funding or resources to achieve the stated aims.  As Ashley Dalton's foreword says though, it is a starting place not an end point. Hopefully it will also be useful to hold others to account and guide future activity.
 
Now that the team are fully in place, we will be able to start reaching out to GPs across Herefordshire and Worcestershire to provide awareness and training sessions, as agreed when the new service was commissioned. This fits in well with the delivery plan. 
 
It does feel like it has been an eventful time in the field of ME/CFS, with the publication of the Delivery Plan and the DecodeME results within a fortnight!  Progress will never be as quick as we want it to be but these feel like significant events that can be built on - and maybe finally there is more of an appetite and drive to do that by a wider group of people
 
I haven't managed to get along to the Social Group recently but I hope that once the new staff are fully inducted, I will be more able to drop in again (and may bring some new faces too!) .
Marina Townend, Service Lead/Specialist Occupational Therapist, Post Viral Fatigue service.
Malvern Community Hospital, 185 Worcester Road, Malvern, WR14 1EX, Tel. 01684 612671.

The Worcestershire M.E. Social Group website contains sections giving information about M.E./CFS, Long Covid and Fibromyalgia.
 
At the end of April 2024 the Group’s Symptoms of ME/CFS information sheet was updated with the "Symptoms for Suspecting ME/CFS" Section of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy) / chronic fatigue syndrome: diagnosis and management: NICE guideline [NG206], published on 29 October 2021, now included on the reverse.  A Symptoms of M.E./CFS blog is available giving full explanations. 
 
The Worcestershire M.E. Support Group produced a ‘Symptoms of M.E./CFS’ information sheet well over twenty years ago, and it continues to be available on our Group’s website in the About M.E. section.  Many people have found this information sheet useful when describing how they feel, and explaining their situations to doctors.

Pdf copy of this blog:

DecodeME  - The world's largest ME/CFS study.  The study should help us understand the disease and ultimately find treatments.  DecodeME aims to find genetic causes of why people become ill with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)  / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).
 
 
The Worcestershire M.E. Social Group received a recent DecodeME newsletter, with initial DNA results.

We are delighted to share an important update on the DecodeME study.  The initial DNA analysis is now complete, and we have made some exciting discoveries.  Our results show that people with an ME/CFS diagnosis have significant genetic differences compared to the general population. These findings confirm that genes contribute to someone’s chances of developing ME/CFS. 
 
Eight genetic signals have been identified that are much more common in people with ME/CFS than the general population. The signals discovered are involved in the immune and the nervous systems, indicating immunological and neurological causes to this poorly understood disease.   The discoveries open the door for scientists to explore what’s going wrong in ME/CFS at a molecular level and are a major step forward in ME/CFS research.
 
Find out more about the results 

• Read more about our findings in our announcement blog 
• Read our FAQs on the initial results  
• Register for our upcoming webinar, where you will hear more about the results from the DecodeME management team, and will have the opportunity to ask questions  
• Find the scientific preprint paper here 
• Learn the science behind the findings. 

 
This progress has only been possible thanks to everyone who took part in DecodeME.
We are extremely grateful for your continued support.  
Warmest wishes, The DecodeME Team

Action for ME (AfME) announce
DecodeME initial DNA results announced
6 August 2025
The world's largest ME/CFS research study, DecodeME, has released the initial DNA results, following the initial analysis of 15,579 DNA samples!
 
What have they found?   Your genes contribute to your chances of developing ME/CFS.  The initial analysis has found that people with a diagnosis of ME/CFS have significant genetic differences in their DNA compared to the general population. These differences exist across the genome, and do not impact just one gene.
 
Eight genetic signals have been identified.  These findings reflected causes, rather than effects, of ME/CFS because DNA does not change with ME/CFS onset.  The signals discovered are involved in the immune and the nervous systems, pointing to immunological and neurological causes.  At least two of these signals relate to the body's response to infection, while others point to the nervous system, one of which has previously been found in other research, in people experiencing chronic pain, reinforcing neurological contributions to ME/CFS. These signals align with how people with ME/CFS describe their illness.
 
Messages from the DecodeME team (included)
Andy Devereux-Cooke, DecodeME co-investigator (Patient and Public Involvement), DecodeME management team
Sonya Chowdhury, Action for ME Chief Executive, DecodeME management team
Professor Chris Ponting, DecodeME lead investigator, Edinburgh University
 
What's next?
Join the DecodeME team for a webinar on Thursday 14 August, where they will explain the initial results in more detail and answer your questions!
The DecodeME will continue to analyse their rich dataset and further findings will be published as soon as they become available.  Other researchers will also be encouraged to use the DecodeME dataset so they can build on these important findings.  Thank you so much to the tens of thousands of people affected by ME/CFS who helped make this groundbreaking research possible.
 
 
The ME Association publicises David Tuller’s interview with Prof Chris Ponting
David Tuller interviews Prof Chris Ponting about Decode ME Results.
August 11, 2025
David Tuller, DrPh, has recorded an interview with Prof Chris Ponting, lead researcher for Decode ME, which they have published on YouTube. In the interview, they cover how the project came about, the results of the study, and next steps for research into ME/CFS. 
Watch the video: Interview with Professor Chris Ponting about the DecodeME results.
 
 
ME Research UK give explanations.
DeCodeME - Initial Results Published
6 August 2025
Initial results from DecodeME’s genetic study have been released.
 
The study is led by Professor Chris Ponting of the Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, and was funded by the Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Health Research.
DecodeME is a genome-wide association study (or GWAS) which aims to uncover some of the biological roots of ME/CFS. Examining DNA is fundamental as DNA remains unchanged by disease and so any DNA differences linked to the disease must be a cause of disease, not an effect. A GWAS is a relatively new technique that focuses on small differences in DNA between people. Identifying differences between people with ME/CFS and healthy controls (from UK biobank) would be a clue to what is going wrong in people with ME/CFS at a biological level. Specifically, it should help identify genes, biological molecules and types of cells that probably play a part in causing ME/CFS. DecodeME, compared the DNA of 15,579 people with ME/CFS with the DNA of 259,909 people without ME/CFS, all of European descent.
 
What are the Initial Findings,  Our findings suggest that both immunological and neurological processes are involved in the genetic risk of ME/CFS.  Abstract of Initial findings from the DecodeME genome-wide association study of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome
 
Your genes contribute to your chances of developing ME/CFS.

• People with an ME/CFS diagnosis have significant genetic differences in their DNA compared to the general population. These lie in many places across the genome, and do not impact just one gene.
• Eight genetic signals have been identified. As DNA doesn’t change with ME/CFS onset, these findings reflect causes rather than effects of ME/CFS.
• The signals discovered are involved in the immune and the nervous systems, indicating immunological and neurological causes to this poorly understood disease.
• At least two of the signals relate to the body’s response to infection. Other signals point to the nervous system, one of which researchers previously found in people experiencing chronic pain, reinforcing neurological contributions to ME/CFS. These signals align with how people with ME/CFS describe their illness.

 
We found that people with ME/CFS are more likely to carry certain DNA differences in eight regions of their genome, and so these variants tell us about possible biological causes of ME/CFS. However, as these differences are also often found in people without ME/CFS they cannot cleanly separate who is at risk and who is not, and therefore do not provide a definitive test. Most of these regions contain several genes. Our methods did not allow us to conclusively locate the ones most relevant to ME/CFS in each region, but public data allowed us to pick out the most likely ones. Three of the most likely genes produce proteins that respond to an infection. Another likely gene is related to chronic pain. None are related to depression or anxiety. We found nothing to explain why more females than males get ME/CFS. Overall, DecodeME shows that ME/CFS is partly caused by genes related to the immune and nervous systems. Lay Summary of pre-print
 
A pre-print paper has been released and will be submitted for peer review in the normal way and so the fimalised and published paper is wont to change over time.   As Prof Ponting said in the Financial Times highly targetted studies are now needed to understand how the 8 identified signals are linked to ME/CFS.
 
As these changes occur mainly in the nervous and immune systems, it accords with the experiences of people with ME/CFS and research thought, namely that people with ME/CFS may struggle to clear infections and experience ongoing symptoms of pain, fatigue and illness from which other people recover. One such gene, OLFM4, codes for a protein called olfactomedin-4 that is involved in the body’s antimicrobial responses. Another, ZNFX1, is associated with responses to RNA viruses. A third highlighted gene, CA10, has been linked to chronic pain. A fourth, BXL4 (crucial for keeping mitochondria (cell batteries) functioning correctly) is identified as being under-expressed in some people with ME/CFS.
 
However, the study did not explain the genetic predisposition of women for ME/CFS but the team has, reportedly, yet to analyse the X and Y sex chromosomes. Further, the initial results do not shed light on the overlap between ME/CFS and Long COVID. As Professor Ponting reportedly stated “It’s very clear that the symptomology between long Covid and ME is highly similar.. Not for everyone but there are substantial similarities but as a geneticist the key question for me is are there overlapping genetic factors, and we haven’t found that in DeCode ME with the methods that we’ve employed.” [NB - the qualification ‘… with the methods that we’ve employed’] and continued (according to The Guardian) “One of the key things we’re doing is enabling others to use their different approaches to ask and answer the same question.”
 
What Next?These extraordinary results speak the language of people with ME/CFS, often recounting people’s ME/CFS symptoms. DecodeME is now calling on researchers worldwide to join us in accelerating ME/CFS research. With our participants we have built an extraordinarily rich DecodeME data set, to which we continue to offer data access. We especially welcome researchers whose work is relevant to the eight signals we have identified, and who could bring their expertise to bear in highly targeted studies that would produce further ME/CFS insights and ultimately treatments. Prof Chris Ponting DecodeME will hold a webinar on Thursday 14th August, where the results will be explained further but clear that the identification of 43 protein-coding genes (of which 29 looked especially promising) is a major advance in debunking the claims of a psychosocial basis of ME/CFS and also targetting research efforts. In particular, the findings around the immune system-related gene called RABGAP1L as a probable contributor to ME/CFS risk fits with the testimony of most people with the disease, who say that an initial infection, which often seemed mild, preceded the onset of their symptoms. Links with FBXL4 (mitochondria function) will also, surely, be an area to folllow-up.
It is already known that the NIH and MRC are pinning high hopes on the results as the ME/CFS Delivery Plan makes specific mention of building on DecodeME even though the results were not made public until 6th August 2025.
 
In particular, the July 2025 Delivery Plan narrated that

1. The MRC had awarded £845,000 to PRIME, a new partnership award that aims to build a solid foundation for a permanent, enabling infrastructure for ME/CFS biomedical research by building on previous investment in the DecodeME study.
2. The Department of Heath and Social Care, NIHR and MRC will host a showcase event later in 2025 for post-viral condition research (including ME/CFS) to discuss recent evidence, including the DeCodeME results.
3. In extending DeCodeME funding in 2024, the NIHR ‘anticipate that DecodeME will empower future research by revealing genetic risk factors and facilitating future studies through the provision of an open-source data and sample base.’

 
Press Coverage

• Channel 4 news video – ME linked to your genetics – early study indicates via YouTube
• All 4 news – ME linked to your genetics – early study indicates
• Science – Possible genetic clues to ME/chronic fatigue syndrome identified in massive study
• Daily Telegraph (paywall) – ME is a real illness, genetic study shows
• Financial Times (paywall) – Chronic fatigue patients have different genes, study finds
• The Standard – People with ME have key genetic differences to other people, study finds
• The Guardian – Scientists find link between genes and ME/chronic fatigue syndrome
• Daily Express – Groundbreaking genetic study sheds new light on causes of ME and chronic fatigue syndrome
• New Scientist – Key genetic differences found in people with chronic fatigue syndrome
• Daily Mail – Scientists FINALLY crack the mystery of chronic fatigue syndrome – major breakthrough reveals cause, sparks new hope for effective

• treatment
• Reuters – UK scientists find genes linked with chronic fatigue syndrome

 
 
The Guardian’s Science editor’s article  -
Scientists find link between genes and ME/chronic fatigue syndrome, 
Large study suggests people’s genetics could ‘tip the balance’ on whether they would develop the illness.  Scientists have found the first robust evidence that people’s genes affect their chances of developing myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a mysterious and debilitating illness that has been neglected and dismissed for decades by many in the medical community.
 
Plus, the ME Association (MEA) give a summary and extracts from the Guardian article.
The Guardian: Scientists find link between genes and ME/CFS
August 7, 2025
“These provide the first robust evidence for genetic contributions to ME,” Ponting said.  “There are many genetic variants that apply across the genome that predispose people to be diagnosed with ME.”  Ian Sample, The Guardian
Summary  -  On the 6th of August, 2025, DecodeME published the pre-print of their DNA Study, which identified eight genetic signals which were different in those with ME/CFS to those without. You can read more about their findings with a summary from Dr Charles Shepherd, here.
The Guardian, alongside other major media outlets, have written about the findings of this pre-print paper, as below.
The MEA also list, ‘Further Media Coverage’.

•  Action for ME  •  DecodeME 
•  M.E. Association  •  MERUK 
•  National Newspapers  •  Post COVID Syndrome (Long COVID)  
•  Research 

Final Delivery Plan on ME/CFS published by Dept of Health & Social Care (DHSC) on 22 July 2025.
Sir Sajid Javid (MP for Bromsgrove from 2010 to 2024), as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced the development of the National Delivery Plan on ME/CFS  for England when he lead a Westminster Hall debate in the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday 1 May 2024.
 
Channel 4 News’ report  ME Delivery Plan: will it make a difference?,
 
After years in the making and numerous delays, the government has finally set out a plan in England to help people with ME, a neurological disease with various debilitating symptoms, which affects over 400,000 people in the UK.
Many patients feel like they’ve been ignored, dismissed and stigmatised for too long and that this plan might finally be a formal recognition of this. But with little funding allocated, does the plan go far enough?
 
This report included a comment from Sir Sajid Javid:
The Delivery Plan was first commissioned back in 2022 by the Health Secretary at the time, Sajid Javid, who had a mixed reaction to today’s announcement:
“It’s certainly raising awareness but there’s no dedicated ring-fenced funding,” he told Channel 4 News.
 
The government told us that although no additional funding is explicitly attached to the delivery plan, that doesn’t mean funding won’t be secured in future spending reviews or that those with ME won’t benefit from investment in other health and care initiatives.
So little in the way of funding, but something in the way of recognition.
 
Reaction
The reaction to the plan so far from advocacy groups has ranged from disappointed, to woefully inadequate.  And for a group of people that have felt unheard for so long, warm words of recognition may feel like scant comfort.
The Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton, said:
“Today’s plan will help tackle the stigma and lack of awareness of this condition through improved training for NHS staff. We will ensure patients suffering from the effects of ME/CFS can access quality care, closer to home, as pledged in our 10 Year Health Plan.”
 
 
ME Research UK’s announcement following the Delivery Plan publication
Delivery Plan for ME/CFS Published 
22 July 2025
UK government on 22nd July 2025, a few days before parliament rises for the summer recess has published its Delivery Plan for ME/CFS. The 3 plus year process covering research, living with ME/CFS and attitudes and education.
 
In the Press Release unfortunately entitled ‘Boost in support for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome or ME’ the government lays out its views and actions as it aims to ‘Better care for patients living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, with plans to invest in research and offer closer to home.’
 
As the Release states (edited) -
The government has committed to changing attitudes and transforming care for patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/ CFS).
The condition affects approximately 390,000 people in the UK, causing debilitating fatigue, sleep problems and difficulties with thinking, concentration and memory. The impact of this condition varies between cases, but severe ME/CFS, which is thought to affect a quarter of those diagnosed, leave patients housebound or unable to work.
The plan published today provides the foundations for significant improvements in all key areas that affect people living with ME/CFS in England, many of whom currently struggle to access appropriate care tailored to their complex condition.
 
As a priority, the plan will introduce new training for NHS healthcare professionals, featuring up-to-date learning resources to increase understand and ensure signs aren’t missed. This will help combat the stigma faced by people living with ME/CFS, which stems from a lack of awareness about the condition.
The rollout of neighbourhood health services as set out in the government’s 10 Year Health Plan will also see ME/CFS patients able to access care closer to home, with specially-trained staff able to support those with complex needs.
 
Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton, said:  
ME/CFS is a debilitating illness that can severely limit patients’ ability to participate in everyday activities, maintain employment, or enjoy family and social life.  
Today’s plan will help tackle the stigma and lack of awareness of this condition through improved training for NHS staff.
And through our neighbourhood health services, we will ensure patients suffering from the effects of ME/CFS can access quality care, closer to home, as pledged in our 10 Year Health Plan.
Our Plan for Change is transforming how patients experience care and this plan represents a comprehensive approach to addressing the long-standing gaps in care and support for people with these conditions, with patient access to appropriate care at its heart.
 
The plan includes increased funding for research, awarded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, into how existing medicines can be used to for ME/CFS. This initiative aims to give patients access to a wider range of potential treatments.
It will also address the specific needs of children and young people, ensuring they receive appropriate and timely support in education settings.  
Recognising that ME/CFS affects people’s ability to work, the plan includes wider government initiatives to address issues with benefit assessment processes and provide support to help patients with long-term conditions and disabilities find and maintain meaningful employment where possible.  
Offering care closer to home forms part of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan to rebuild the NHS, putting patients’ needs first and delivering effective, accessible treatment. 
The government will continue to work with stakeholders and build on the foundations of actions in the Final Delivery Plan well beyond its publication, reaffirming our commitment to ongoing development and improvement. This all forms part of the government’s Plan for Change to build an NHS fit for the future and one which offers the highest-quality, personalised care.
 
Ministerial letter
To coincide with the press release, Ashley Dalton MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention, issued a letter which acknowledged that “People living with ME/CFS often face stigma and misunderstanding, stemming from a lack of awareness and education about the condition. This lack of awareness and understanding can significantly impact the quality and availability of services and support for those affected.”
 
Press Coverage

• itv x – Government pledges to ‘transform care’ for people with ME
• The Independent – Woman’s death exposes need for ME care reforms
• The Independent – ME care reforms promised after woman’s tragic death
• BBC Breakfast – iplayer (1.13.20 to 1.26.11)
• The Times (paywall) – Doctors to be trained on ME in NHS plan to transform care
• The Times (paywall) – My daughter died from ME. This new plan fails her and others like her
• Pulse – GPs to support delivery of ME/CFS care under new NHS plan
• Channel 4 – ME Delivery Plan: will it make a difference?
• Healthcare Management – NHS professionals to be trained on ME and chronic fatigue syndrome
• The Star – What is ME and the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome as government announces new NHS care plan for patients
• Medscape UK – After a Long Delay, ME/CFS Strategy Finally Arrives
• BBC Radio Scotland – iplayer (1.38.32 to 1.53.00)
• 5 Live Breakfast
• Times Radio – interview with Sean O’Neill
• BBC World at One

 
 
 
Department of Health and Social Care Policy Paper
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS):
the final delivery plan
Published 22 July 2025
 
Ministerial foreword
 
I am delighted to publish this final cross-government delivery plan on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), which while led by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), has been developed in close partnership with the Department for Education (DfE), the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and NHS England, as well as, crucially, people with ME/CFS, carers, health and care professionals, researchers and research funders, charities and patient groups, and other interested organisations and individuals. 
I would like to thank everyone involved to date for their time and commitment to this vitally important work. I would particularly like to thank the members of the cross-sector Task and Finish Group that met 4 times between January and April 2025. As with any government plan or strategy, we have not been able to include every ask of that group in the final delivery plan, which must of course reflect what is practically feasible and financially viable and affordable, especially within the challenging current fiscal climate. However, the views of Task and Finish Group members have been very much considered alongside those received in response to the earlier consultation on the interim delivery plan. 
 
I recognise that care for people with ME/CFS has varied widely and, in the worst cases, has left some people feeling that their illness is not recognised by the health and care system. I know that those with severe or very severe ME/CFS, and their families and carers, have often felt particularly let down by those systems and I am painfully aware of patient safety concerns, and even tragically avoidable deaths of people with ME/CFS, in England. These must become never events. There are also inequalities in service provision that need to be addressed. We know that more research, better services and a better understanding of the condition all have the potential to make a huge difference to the quality of life of people with ME/CFS, whether that be those with symptoms on the milder end of the spectrum or those with very severe ME/CFS, and everyone in between. This final delivery plan marks an important milestone on the continuing journey to achieving those 3 high-level ambitions.
 
I know that the condition continues to blight the lives of so many children and adults across the country. In fact, the latest research findings recently concluded that the prevalence of people with ME/CFS in the UK may be as high as around 390,000[footnote 1] (or 0.6% of the population). The actions set out in this final delivery plan are intended not only to support the government’s health mission but also our growth mission, and these figures make a stark case for change on both fronts.
The interim delivery plan set out the problems to be addressed and draft actions to drive an expansion of research, better education of professionals, improvements in attitudes towards the condition and improvements to service provision. I was pleased to see that the public consultation on that interim plan attracted over 3,000 responses, which have helped us to firm up and expand on the number and/or ambition of the proposed actions I expect the final delivery plan to deliver in the months and years ahead. In some areas, significant progress has already been possible between publication of the interim and final delivery plans. For example, e-learning modules on ME/CFS for healthcare providers and the general public have been developed, and the DecodeME study providing a genetic resource to better understand ME/CFS and stimulate future research has had its funding extended to enable the research aims to be completed, and I thank those involved.
I know that people with ME/CFS, their families and carers have waited a long time for a new national delivery plan - some would say too long - and I was very keen that we published it now, on the back of the recently published 10 Year Health Plan, which sets out our vision for the NHS of the future, so that we and partners can start to turn much needed actions into practice. I acknowledge that some of the actions we set out in this final delivery plan will require further exploration, scoping and discussion post-publication, but I and the department, as well as other parts of government and the NHS, are happy to be held to account by the ME/CFS community, including those with lived experience, to ensure that we make progress against every action. Publication of this plan in no way marks the end of our journey. In fact, my view is that the real work, which we look forward to doing collaboratively with stakeholders, starts post-publication.
 
This final delivery plan covers the population of England. However, I know that the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive have all carefully considered the consultation responses on the interim delivery plan from their residents and what they have heard at the Task and Finish Group meetings, and the implications for local policy in the devolved nations.
 
I recognise that there are some overlaps - for example, in symptoms and/or interventions - between ME/CFS and some other long-term conditions like long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. It should be noted that, while we are very happy to explore overlaps and synergies with related conditions as the plan is implemented, we have maintained our commitment to focusing this plan only on ME/CFS.
I look forward to continued collaboration as we strive to bring about real and positive change for people with ME/CFS.
 
Ashley Dalton MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention.
 
The following sections are detailed in the Policy Paper-
Summary;  Research summary;  Attitudes and education summary;  Living with ME/CFS summary;  After publication of the FDP;  Research;  Progress since publication of the IDP;  Exploring links with other post-acute infection condition;, Investment in research into ME/CFS and other post-acute infection condition;,  Encouraging further research into ME/CFS; Maximising value for ME/CFS research from research infrastructure;   Patient involvement ;  New investmen New funding opportunity:  evaluating medicines and other interventions for post-acute infection conditions, Monitoring progress and delivering impact,  Attitudes and education, Living with ME/CFS, Quality of life,  Support for children and young people with ME/CFS;  Provision of health services;  Provision of adult social care;  Provision of welfare support; Provision of employment support;  Agreed actions, Research;  Attitudes and education,  Living with ME/CFS,
 
Plus the Next steps,
The publication of this FDP marks an important milestone that provides the foundations for improvements in all important areas that affect people with ME/CFS. We will monitor the actions, and the DHSC secretariat will continue to engage with the Task and Finish Group in an appropriate form as required, to assess progress towards existing actions and to agree further actions where required. The Task and Finish Group includes representatives from ME/CFS charities, people with lived experience and those responsible for actions in the FDP, including government departments, arm’s-length bodies and professional organisations.
A new health services sub-group will be created to focus on improving care for those with ME/CFS. Appropriate and timely care for people with ME/CFS on all parts of the severity spectrum must improve. This FDP provides a framework for a sustainable approach which will ensure consistent and reliable care for all people with ME/CFS. We will continue to work with stakeholders across government, the NHS and beyond to progress the agreed actions set out in this plan with the aim of raising awareness and promoting understanding of ME/CFS across various sectors. We will also continue to actively engage with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on ME and collaborate with the 3 devolved UK nations, which participated in the development of this FDP.
 
 
Further announcements following publication of the Government’s Delivery Plan on ME/CFS
 
 
The ME Association’s statement on the Government’s Delivery Plan on ME/CFS
July 22, 2025
The Government’s delivery plan on ME/CFS is aiming to boost research, improve attitudes and education, and enhance the lives of people living with ME/CFS.
 
 
The 25% M.E. Group’s statement
Posted on July 22, 2025
On 22 July 2025, the UK Government released its Final Delivery Plan for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), marking a significant milestone in improving care, support, and research for the…
 
 
Action for ME (AfME) announces
DHSC publishes the Final Delivery Plan on ME/CFS
22 July 2025
The Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) has published the Final Delivery Plan on ME/CFS.
The Plan’s release is an important step towards recognising the scale and seriousness of the condition and we welcome the Plan and the intent behind it.
Whilst there are elements of the Plan that will have a positive impact, it simply does not go far enough to ensure that its desired outcomes will be achieved. In particular, the Plan lacks a strategic approach to research investment, ambition, and accountability structures.
 
 
The British Association of Clinicians in ME/CFS (BACME) welcomes publication of the DHSC ME/CFS Delivery Plan on 22 July 2025. Provision of care closer to home, improving training for all health and social care staff, expanded NHS ME/CFS specialist services and funded opportunities for research into ME/CFS are much needed.
BACME shares the concerns of the charities working with people living with ME/CFS highlighting that this Delivery Plan does not go far enough. It does not offer sufficient urgency, funding or resources to realise the ambitions of clinicians and researchers working in this medical field.
 
The ME Association (MEA) publicises :
David Tuller interviews Dr Charles Shepherd about the new ME/CFS Delivery Plan
July 29, 2025
David Tuller, DrPh, has interviewed Dr Charles Shepherd, MEA Honorary Medical Advisor, about the recent publication of the new ME/CFS Delivery Plan.

•  25% M.E. Group  •  Action for ME 
•  B.B.C.  •  Government U.K. 
•  M.E. Association  •  MERUK 
•  MP  •  National Newspapers 
•  N.H.S.  •  Parliament U.K.