UK Government Delivery Plan for ME/CFS, published 22nd July 2025

[Jonathan Edwards]

It has been very unclear what professionals had been consulted by DHSC in preparing their template. If it was Dr Miller that fits with what has emerged. What I am currently worried about is the apparent assumption by some ME/CFS advocacy groups that a community run service is an inevitable and acceptable way forward.

This post has been copied and posts about Dr Miller moved to a new thread. See next post.

 

[Trish]

Some posts have been moved to a new thread:
ME/CFS diagnosis and management among topics at free Pulse virtual event for GPs, Dr Alastair Miller, 24th March 2026

 

[Lucibee]

Thanks to @Lucibee for highlighting this.

How good did we think the e-learning material was? My vague recollection was that it wasn't great, and I'm not sure we've looked at the severe module at all. In which case, the poor completion numbers might actually be a good thing, or at least a neutral thing. I've seen a lot of ME/CFS training materials that are likely to be, on balance, counter-productive.

I've seen the severe module. I thought it was OK. My BSky thread on it is here: https://bsky.app/profile/lucibee.bsky.social/post/3lydf4kz5nc2d

(If you want me to summarise what I thought about it on here somewhere, let me know. fwiw I used to put together (edit and content process) CPD modules for a large doctors organisation on a wide range of topics.)

For the FOIA request, I wanted to know how many people had completed the modules since they were launched. NHSE provided info up to 20 January 2026 (from first launch date) for each module.

The key info for the FOIA request is this table:



[thread link here: ]

The numbers are paltry for *all* modules, not just the severe module. As far as I can tell, DHSC have done next to nothing to promote them (so far): one blog post, a singular mention in the BMJ.

I would suspect that most of the 33 NHS accounts numbered above are those who have a direct connection to a pwME (or an advocacy interest already).

They also implied in the FDP that RCP and the other RCs would be promoting them, but it's since become clear that they have no mandate to do that as they all have their own e-learning platforms and it is incredibly unlikely they would promote another org's modules anyway (even NHSE).
I checked RCPs communications with their members and they don't even promote mandatory NHSE training. For example, on the day that the Oliver McGowan mandatory training was announced, RCP promoted their own 15-month postgraduate training on LD and autism instead. No mention of the NHSE training at all. It's also worth noting that a certain Dr Alastair Miller is on the Joint RCP Training Board. (cf recent Pulse shenanigans)

A more crucial point though is that the NHSE modules offer no CPD points (just a certificate).

On their own, the modules are nowhere near enough. This needs to be part of core training, and it's difficult to know how pwME would have any say in that process, or even see what is included. There is mention in the FDP of setting up a central education resource, but I don't know what progress has been made in regard to that.

 

[Nightsong]

How good did we think the e-learning material was?

I made three previous posts on the severe module: link; link; link.

It has a style that is very supportive of patients. It doesn't indulge psychobehaviouralism. There are sections on preventing deterioration, adapting the patient's environment for sensory sensitivities (including practical tips such as blackout curtains & noise-cancelling headphones, adjustable hospital-style beds, tilt-in-space wheelchairs all the way through to alternative communication tools). There are sections on nutritional support, including enteral feeding. There must have been people consulted who have had direct experience of looking after very severe patients.

There is unfortunately rather too much advice that veers into the unevidenced, such as the attempts to link ME/CFS to "MCAS", & statements about "immune dysfunction" and so forth for which there is not a sufficiently robust evidence base. There is discussion of immunomodulating agents & so forth which may encourage off-label prescribing. There is some advice that I consider unwarranted and potentially harmful, such as the suggestion to "use lowest possible dose of anaesthetics and opioids" due to inter alia "prolonged anaesthesia effects and difficulty metabolising drugs". One must be particularly careful with recommendations such as those.

Charles Shepherd has stated publicly that he intends to ask the RCP to promote the modules - something which was mentioned in the delivery plan and in this BMJ article (link). I was hoping that the modules could be improved before that occurs. I am not sure if Dr Strain is amenable to suggestions for improvement; I'm not currently in a good position to engage with - well, anything - due to how severe I have become but there are those on the forum who might. As I recall, he is also AfME's principal medical advisor, so perhaps those on the forum with links to AfME might raise some of these issues with them.