Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with life sciences sector organisations about accelerating research into myalgic encephalomyelitis; and what steps they plan to take to support that work by 2027.

The Government is committed to funding high-quality research to understand the causes, consequences, and treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). We recognise the value of collaborating across the life sciences sector to deliver the most impactful research. The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The Government has outlined its approach to supporting research into ME/CFS in the Final Delivery Plan, published in July 2025. Since this was published, the NIHR and the Medical Research Council (MRC) has hosted a showcase on post-acute infection conditions, bringing together people with lived experience, researchers, clinicians, funders, and the life sciences sector to stimulate further research.

Recently, £4.75 million of Government funding has been invested in SequenceME, which will carry out whole genome sequencing for up to 6,000 patients with ME/CFS. SequenceME brings together the University of Edinburgh, Action for ME, the European Bioinformatics Institute, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies, demonstrating the value of collaboration across the life sciences sector. We hope that this study will build a high-resolution genetic map of ME/CFS, paving the way for better diagnostics, including biomarkers, and future treatments. SequenceME builds on the £3.2 million investment from the NIHR and MRC in DecodeME.