A CLEAR AND CONCISE DIAGNOSTIC
AND TREATMENT TOOL FOR
HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

A two-page summary of the Key Clinical Issues of the Chief Medical Officer’s Working Group report on CFS/ME. called a “Clinical Services Framework” it covers they key issues of this important report and is designed to help patients and service providers.

We consulted widely with leading health professionals in the ME field and were cognisant of the fact that in order to receive official support from the Department of Health we needed to produce a document that did not divert from the original report.

Several drafts were produced, changes made in the light of consultation and we then submitted it to Professor Allen Hutchinson Chair of the Working Party Group. He gave us his endorsement and said,
“ I applaud the notion of the two page summary document.”
“ This is a useful method of capturing information for busy clinicians.”

The front page of the framework covers:
1) An introduction to ME/CFS:
Lists the characteristic symptoms
Lists differential diagnoses.
2) Outlines the diagnostic process with;
Background information
Clinical Evaluation
Basic Screen tests
Specialised screening tests

On the reverse it outlines;
1) The essentials of CFS/ME Management
2) A section on special issues
3) A range of therapeutic strategies covering:
management, sleep, pain, mood and diet.

Whilst it does not give all the answers we feel it will provide health professionals (and lots of people with ME) with a valuable tool to develop a partnership approach in dealing with ME.

We made a decision not to post this piece of work on the website, reproduction is of poor quality and diminishes the impact of the document.

We have produced large quantities of the framework and wish to circulate it widely to benefit as many people as possible. We are more than happy to send copies to you. For a small number of copies we ask for a token donation and postage costs to help our funds. For larger quantities we ask for £10 per 100 copies plus postage.

For more information contact the office:

ME North East,Bullion Hall, Chester-le-Street, Co.Durham DH2 2DW

Tel: 0191 3892222 Email: [email protected]