NHS Services for CFS/ME

The NHS management and treatment of ME/CFS:

This is defined and guided by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) Guidelines on CFS/ME CG 53 (2007). The only two treatments/therapies were recommended by NICE - Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Graded Exercise Therapy (GET)/ Graded Activity (GA)*.

(*Please note that inappropriate exercise for people with ME may be harmful - see the NICE Guideline CG53 for CFS/ME, below)

See the overview of the NICE guidelines for CFS/ME for patients and carers

[The full NICE Guidelines for CFS/ME can be seen here]


The decision by NICE to only recommend CBT & GET was endorsed by the results of a research trial known as PACE ("Pacing, graded Activity & Cognitive behaviour therapy: a randomised  Evaluation.") which were published early in 2011. As  a consequence NICE determined that there would be no review of the CFS/ME Guidelines at present.


For Children and Young People the NHS management of CFS/ME is guided by the
2004 Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Guideline for CFS/ME  - although this has to some extent been updated by the NICE Guideline for CFS/ME CG53 published in 2007


See also;
the NHS Choice website:
http://nhslocal.nhs.uk/my-health/conditions/c/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/treatment

the NHS Plus Occupational guidelines:
Health professionals guide 
Employers Guide
Employees Guide

 British Association of CFS/ME (BACME)
This is the British Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME (BACME) is an organisation which exists to promote and support
the delivery of evidenced based treatment (NICE Guideline for CFS/ME CG53) for children, young people and adults with CFS/ME 
 throughout the UK. It is a voluntary organisation which has taken it upon itself to provide training and education for health professionals who work with CFS/ME.


[Although we have reported as accurately as possible the NHS overview of CFS/ME, Solihull & South Birmingham ME Support Group do not
necessarily agree with all aspects of the NHS management/treatment of ME.]

Local NHS services in West Midands:

Birmingham NHS CFS/ME clinic
The Barberry Centre
Queen Elizabeth Psychiatric Hospital
Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2FG
 tel no: 0121 301 2290
The lead clinician is: Dr. Hugh Rickards, Consultant in Neuropsychiatry

Nuneaton NHS CFS/ME Clinic
George Eliot Hospital, College Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV10 7DJ.
Tel: 024 7686 5212
ME/CFS service clinic days, Friday afternoons. Waiting time for initial appointment, 13 weeks.
Lead clinician, Dr Vinod Patel, with multi-disciplinary team comprising occupational therapist, physiotherapist, nurse and psychologist. Dr Patel is a consultant physician in diabetes and endocrinology and Reader in Clinical Skills at Warwick Medical School.

Worcestershire and Herefordshire NHS CFS/ME Clinic
Tel: 01562 823424 (ext 53436)
Dr Mirella Ling, specialist in infectious diseases Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, is the lead Local Multi-Disciplinary Team clinician.
Occupational therapist Sue Gordon-Saner is the Worcestershire Service coordinator.
Other members of the team are physiotherapist Sue Jones and psychologist Dr Helen Ayres.
Clinics are held Kidderminster Hospital.

*other NHS clinics can be found on the list on ME Association site