Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the availability of dietitians with a special interest in chronic fatigue syndrome, and how many of those dietitians there are in England.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not hold information on the number of dieticians who hold specialist knowledge or experience relating to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
NHS England publishes monthly Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics, with the data is drawn from the Electronic Staff Record, which is the payroll and human resources system for the National Health Service. This means it allows for identification of staff by broad staffing groups, including dieticians, working in Hospital and Community Health Services, but it does not provide the level of detail needed to identify staff with the skills, knowledge or experience of working with patients with specific conditions or allow identification of the types of patients and service delivery areas that staff may be involved in on a day to day basis. The latest data is available at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment criteria they are using to assess the case for commissioning a specialised service for very severe chronic fatigue syndrome.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), final delivery plan, published on 22 July 2025, includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care for very severe ME/CFS. Officials from the Department have commenced discussions with NHS England on how best to take forward this action.
Three factors determine whether a service is a prescribed specialised service. These are: the number of individuals who require the service; the cost of providing the service or facility; and the number of people able to provide the service or facility.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that hospital and community services effectively prevent and manage malnutrition among people with severe and very severe myalgic encephalomyelitis in England.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We published the final delivery plan for myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), on 22 July, which focuses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.
The commissioning of ME/CFS services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards based on the needs of their local population. The ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe ME/CFS. Officials from the Department have commenced discussions with NHS England on how best to take forward this action.
To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of conditions like ME/CFS, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published guidance for ME/CFS in October 2021, a copy of which is attached.
It recommends that people with ME/CFS should be referred for a dietetic assessment by a dietitian with a special interest in ME/CFS if they are losing weight and at risk of malnutrition. The guidance also states that clinicians should recognise that symptoms of severe and very severe ME/CFS may mean that people are unable to eat and digest food easily and may need support with hydration and nutrition, and that the support provided could include oral nutrition and enteral feeding.
NICE guidelines are evidence-based, informed by clinical expertise, and represent best practice. Although NICE guidelines are not mandatory, healthcare professionals are expected to take them fully into account.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of NHS care for patients in England with severe and very severe myalgic encephalomyelitis; and what steps they are taking to improve it.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We published the final delivery plan for myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), on 22 July, which focuses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.
The commissioning of ME/CFS services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards based on the needs of their local population. The ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe ME/CFS. Officials from the Department have commenced discussions with NHS England on how best to take forward this action.
To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of conditions like ME/CFS, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published guidance for ME/CFS in October 2021, a copy of which is attached.
It recommends that people with ME/CFS should be referred for a dietetic assessment by a dietitian with a special interest in ME/CFS if they are losing weight and at risk of malnutrition. The guidance also states that clinicians should recognise that symptoms of severe and very severe ME/CFS may mean that people are unable to eat and digest food easily and may need support with hydration and nutrition, and that the support provided could include oral nutrition and enteral feeding.
NICE guidelines are evidence-based, informed by clinical expertise, and represent best practice. Although NICE guidelines are not mandatory, healthcare professionals are expected to take them fully into account.