Annette Brooke MP tells Parliament 'ME sufferers deserve more'
February 25, 2010 11:02 AM
Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole called on Parliament to give better support and fund more research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, more commonly known as ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).
Annette secured the end of day debate on Tuesday after having met several constituents whose lives have been affected by the disease and discussing with them the difficulty they have experienced in getting the illness properly diagnosed and recognised.
About 250,000 people in the UK are affected by the condition, the symptoms of which vary from poor memory and concentration to debilitating fatigue and pain. Some 70,000 sufferers are so ill that they are bed bound and require round the clock care. Dorset alone has about 2000 sufferers and is fortunate as Wareham Hospital has a specialist ME unit.
Despite the severity of the illness very little research has been done into the causes and cures. Many doctors are under-educated in the subject and are often reluctant for patients to pursue further testing that would give a greater understanding of the disease. This lack of information has resulted in an emphasis on the physco-social aspects of the disease and research has not been given to the biomedical causes.
Commenting on the debate Annette said 'I was very grateful to be able to raise this desperately important issue in Parliament. I am hoping that as a result Department of Health will closely review its response to ME and the funding of research into it. I was delighted to hear in the Minister's response that she is looking for ways for better research into ME to be done.
'We are looking at long term changes, which are of little comfort to the people suffering now, but I hope that in time we will see a real shift in how this dreadful disease is treated.'
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