UK House of Lords/ House of Commons - relevant people and questions

[Tao Fogger]

Laura Kyrke-Smith Labour, Aylesbury​

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to put in place a long term funding strategy for research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

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• Hansard source(Citation: HC Deb, 19 January 2026, cW)

Zubir Ahmed The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care​

As set out in the Government’s final delivery plan for myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) that was published in July 2025, the Department has taken action to strengthen research capacity and capability for ME/CFS to support the long-term future of the research field.

These actions include hosting a research showcase event, a new development award to evaluate repurposed pharmaceutical interventions, and announcing newly funded studies in health and care services, research infrastructure, and capacity-building.

We are determined to accelerate progress in the treatment and management of ME/CFS and will continue working with the community to identify and address barriers to research.

The Department funded National Institute for Health and Care Research welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including ME/CFS.

 

[bobbler]

Laura Kyrke-Smith Labour, Aylesbury​

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure consistent application of NICE guidelines across Integrated Care Boards for the diagnosis and access to specialist care for the treatment of ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

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• Hansard source(Citation: HC Deb, 19 January 2026, cW)

Ashley Dalton The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care​

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines are evidence-based, informed by clinical expertise, and represent best practice. Healthcare professionals and integrated care board (ICB) commissioners are expected to take NICE guidelines fully into account when designing and delivering services, including for the diagnosis and treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). NHS England ensures that ICBs follow NICE guidance through a combination of statutory oversight frameworks, annual performance assessments, and local clinical governance requirements.

We published the final ME/CFS delivery plan in July 2025, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mecfs-the-final-delivery-plan

The plan focuses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease. It also sets out a series of actions, which will help address the key challenges and drive forward improvements to outcomes and quality of life for people living with ME/CFS in England.

That’s a big of a weird one of “why would someone ask that?

It sounds instead like for some reason the person wanted to talk on it so someone else was asked to ask it - but I’m not even sure in working out what that would achieve or why

These questions and answers are all do rubbish and seem with bite that someone’s stitched us up pre-organised but not from anyone who is in our side

That it’s a message of our place being delivered to us and I find it quite brutal in that way given to me I feel I see a difference between this and things band people being taken seriously

And this seems like a big staged charade of questions we even get to have answered for the next year and bullying pretending there is a MEDICAL service when the entire aim from all those involved is a ‘AVOID it ever bring allowed to be looked at medically’ service

There is a real ‘we’ve decided how we are dealing with you’ feel coming off all of this for me

 

[Tree]

Laura Kyrke-Smith Labour, Aylesbury​

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure consistent application of NICE guidelines across Integrated Care Boards for the diagnosis and access to specialist care for the treatment of ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

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• Hansard source(Citation: HC Deb, 19 January 2026, cW)

Ashley Dalton The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care​

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines are evidence-based, informed by clinical expertise, and represent best practice. Healthcare professionals and integrated care board (ICB) commissioners are expected to take NICE guidelines fully into account when designing and delivering services, including for the diagnosis and treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). NHS England ensures that ICBs follow NICE guidance through a combination of statutory oversight frameworks, annual performance assessments, and local clinical governance requirements.

We published the final ME/CFS delivery plan in July 2025, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mecfs-the-final-delivery-plan

The plan focuses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease. It also sets out a series of actions, which will help address the key challenges and drive forward improvements to outcomes and quality of life for people living with ME/CFS in England.

This doesn’t seem to answer the question though?

 

[Tao Fogger]

Roz Savage Liberal Democrat, South Cotswolds​

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the closure of dedicated Long Covid services on patient outcomes; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the long-term effects of Covid-19 are (a) properly identified, (b) monitored and (c) treated.

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• Hansard source(Citation: HC Deb, 21 January 2026, cW)

Roz Savage Liberal Democrat, South Cotswolds​

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the closure of specialist Long Covid clinics on the collection of data on the long-term health impacts of Covid-19; and what steps he is taking to ensure that these conditions are not under-recognised or under-resourced as a result.

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• Hansard source(Citation: HC Deb, 21 January 2026, cW)

Roz Savage Liberal Democrat, South Cotswolds​

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on patient outcomes for those with Long-Covid following the closure of dedicated services; and how many former Long Covid patients are being supported through ME/CFS services.

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• Hansard source(Citation: HC Deb, 21 January 2026, cW)

Ashley Dalton The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care​

While no central assessment has been made of the impact of local closures of post-COVID-19 services on patient outcomes and data collection, the Government understands the scale of the issue at hand, particularly the impact of long COVID-19 on health, employment, and the economy.

The Government is aware that post-acute infection conditions, such as long COVID-19, can have a devastating effect on those who suffer from them. We are committed to taking a comprehensive and compassionate approach to supporting individuals with post-acute infection conditions such as long COVID-19, recognising the unique challenges these conditions present.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning specialist services for long COVID-19 that meet the needs of their population, subject to local prioritisation and funding. NHS England has published commissioning guidance for post-COVID-19, or long COVID-19, services, which sets out a blueprint for best practice in supporting people with long COVID-19 and is designed to be adapted to local needs. This guidance is avaiable at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/national-commissioning-guidance-for-post-covid-services/

Anyone who is concerned about long lasting symptoms after having COVID-19 should contact their general practitioner (GP). If appropriate, their GP will refer them to a National Health Service long COVID-19 service where available, or a suitable alternative, which will assess people and direct them into care pathways which provide appropriate support, treatment, and rehabilitation.

To support clinical leadership in this area, NHS England worked in partnership with the British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine to establish the International Post- Covid and Post-Infection Conditions Society to facilitate the ongoing sharing of best practice to support people affected by long COVID-19.

Ongoing projects funded through the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Medical Research Council (MRC) aim to improve our understanding of the diagnosis and underlying mechanisms of long COVID-19 and the effectiveness of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies and interventions, as well as to evaluate clinical care. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including long COVID-19. The NIHR and MRC remain committed to funding high-quality research to understand the causes, consequences, and treatment of post-viral conditions, including long COVID-19, and are actively exploring next steps for research into post-viral conditions.

On 6 November 2025, the NIHR and MRC hosted a showcase event for post-acute infection conditions, including long COVID-19, research. This brought together people with lived experience, researchers, clinicians, and research funders to help stimulate further research in this field. We are now considering discussions from the showcase event to explore next steps to stimulate further vital research in this area.

We are determined to accelerate progress in the treatment and management of long COVID-19. This includes a new funding opportunity for a development award which is focussed on the feasibility of a phase 2 platform clinical trial that tests multiple repurposed pharmaceutical interventions and/or non-pharmacological interventions and devices. This targeted funding opportunity is one component of our approach to improve evidence around the diagnosis, management, and treatment of post-acute infection conditions, including long COVID-19.

 

[hotblack]

To support clinical leadership in this area, NHS England worked in partnership with the British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine to establish the International Post- Covid and Post-Infection Conditions Society to facilitate the ongoing sharing of best

Alarm bells sounding… that and the talk of there being alternative appropriate pathways…
Imagine if they gave that answer for other conditions with similar impact on people as Long Covid and ME/CFS.

 

[V.R.T.]

This includes a new funding opportunity for a development award which is focussed on the feasibility of a phase 2 platform clinical trial that tests multiple repurposed pharmaceutical interventions and/or non-pharmacological interventions and devices.

If they havent figured out by now that non-pharmalogical interventions aren't likely to do much, I don't know what to tell them.

 

[V.R.T.]

We are now considering discussions from the showcase event to explore next steps to stimulate further vital research in this area.

The next step is SequenceME. Even a fool could see that. If they have no intention of doing that I doubt they have the intelligence to fund good quality smaller projects.

The level of dishonesty in these responses [edit: the government's PMQ responses, to be clear] is sickening.

 

[Peter T]

I continue ambivalent about asking for funding for more specialist ME/CFS or Long Covid services. Though we desperately need appropriate local services, especially for those who are severe and very severe, more of the same is likely to do more harm than good.

Existing services are likely to be the ones consulted by the NHS in planning future provision, but they are the people that are largely getting it wrong at present.

 

[Cinders66]

This doesn’t seem to answer the question though?

Laura Kyrke-Smith Labour, Aylesbury​

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure consistent application of NICE guidelines across Integrated Care Boards for the diagnosis and access to specialist care for the treatment of ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

• Tweet Share
• Hansard source(Citation: HC Deb, 19 January 2026, cW)

Ashley Dalton The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care​

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines are evidence-based, informed by clinical expertise, and represent best practice. Healthcare professionals and integrated care board (ICB) commissioners are expected to take NICE guidelines fully into account when designing and delivering services, including for the diagnosis and treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). NHS England ensures that ICBs follow NICE guidance through a combination of statutory oversight frameworks, annual performance assessments, and local clinical governance requirements.

We published the final ME/CFS delivery plan in July 2025, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mecfs-the-final-delivery-plan

The plan focuses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease. It also sets out a series of actions, which will help address the key challenges and drive forward improvements to outcomes and quality of life for people living with ME/CFS in England.

"NHS England ensures that ICBs follow NICE guidance through a combination of statutory oversight frameworks, annual performance assessments, and local clinical governance requirements".

Isn't this nonsense, when NHS England didn't apparently even know what the service provision was & did nothing visible after NG21 publication? Ashley D assured the, imo, seemingly quite naive POTS debate, of the same thing, regarding NHSE being the one who was ensuring the provision of services, & then Rachel Gaskell MP got up and flatly said, well, we know there are barely any etc.

Afaics, as our charities have essentially accepted the DHSC delivery plan, the government is now just going to keep quoting it back to patients - via these questions - as if it is “fixing our problems”, along with this type of nonsense.
Everything is grand, people, just chillax.