Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the MRS has made in delivering mechanistic research into ME/CFS.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We do not know what ‘MRS’ refers to in this context. The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). A limited amount of mechanistic research is funded through the NIHR, but the majority of mechanistic research is funded through the Medical Research Council (MRC), a UK Research and Innovation Council sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Mechanistic research into myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, is within the remit of the MRC.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in response to Question tabled on 15 December 2025, UIN 99871, if the Government can outline what steps are being taken to ensure the needs of people with severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis are adequacy met.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The final delivery plan on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), published in 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 severe ME/CFS. Officials from the Department have commenced discussions with NHS England on how best to take forward this action.
The third and final session in NHS England’s newly-developed ME/CFS e-learning series, Managing Severe ME/CFS, is now live on the NHS Learning Hub. This session provides practical, evidence-based guidance for healthcare professionals to support people living with severe and very severe ME/CFS.
Additionally, as set out in the Plan for Change, we are committed to returning to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029. We exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million appointments, tests, and operations in our first year of government, having delivered 5.2 million additional appointments between July 2024 and June 2025. This will help people with severe ME/CFS to get support sooner.
The 10-Year Health Plan sets out a transformed vision for elective care by 2035, where most interactions no longer take place in a hospital building, instead happening virtually or via neighbourhood services. We will empower patients by giving them greater choice and control and establishing expected standards for making their experience of planned NHS care as smooth, supportive and convenient as possible, including for people with severe ME/CFS.
Asked by: Laura Kyrke-Smith (Labour - Aylesbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
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.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of 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.
Asked by: Laura Kyrke-Smith (Labour - Aylesbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
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.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of 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.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2025 to Question 95676, whether his Department has conducted any evaluation of patient safety risks affecting people with severe and very severe ME/CFS, including malnutrition.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Patient safety risks affecting people with severe and very severe myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), including malnutrition, have been considered during the development of the final delivery plan (FDP) published in July this year, through engagement with stakeholders, including clinicians and patient groups.
To this end, the FDP 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.
Asked by: Alison Hume (Labour - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will be assessing the impact of new developments in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Long Covid research, such as the findings of the LOCOME project, on health policy towards those living with long term health conditions.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 6 November, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) jointly hosted a showcase event for post-acute infection conditions research, which included a review of the DecodeME research project and the PrecisionLife study on myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and long COVID research. PrecisionLife is leading on the LOCOME, or LOng COvid and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Diagnostics Stratification, project. The showcase event was attended by speakers from a range of disciplines, including researchers, people with lived experience, ME charities, NIHR and MRC representatives, as well as Government officials.
The Department is always very keen to reflect newly emerging research findings in its policy-making.
Asked by: Alison Hume (Labour - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans her Department has to support the use of combinatorial genomic analysis techniques, such as those used by Precision Life to identify novel ME genetic associations, within government-funded research programmes.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Medical Research Council (MRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), funds a broad portfolio of health research, including researcher led proposals using combinatorial genomic analysis. MRC has prioritised research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) for many years, investing over £4.65 million since 2020, and continues to welcome high quality applications in this area.
UKRI supports collaboration between Government funded bodies and private sector researchers across its councils and Innovate UK. This includes funding the LOCOME study led by Precision Life, through Innovate UK’s Advancing Precision Medicine programme, which supports the development of digital and data tools to improve diagnosis and treatment. MRC also enables academic-industry partnerships through its Industry Collaboration Framework.
UKRI does not typically maintain disease‑specific research strategies, instead providing open funding routes for the most impactful research across disciplines. Targeted work can be supported where needed. For example, in 2020, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHCR), the Scottish Government and MRC funded the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership to identify ME/CFS research priorities.
Asked by: Alison Hume (Labour - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans her Department has to develop a long-term research strategy into under-researched health conditions that reflects the scale of emerging genetic evidence identified by private-sector research organisations, including Precision Life’s LOCOME study.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Medical Research Council (MRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), funds a broad portfolio of health research, including researcher led proposals using combinatorial genomic analysis. MRC has prioritised research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) for many years, investing over £4.65 million since 2020, and continues to welcome high quality applications in this area.
UKRI supports collaboration between Government funded bodies and private sector researchers across its councils and Innovate UK. This includes funding the LOCOME study led by Precision Life, through Innovate UK’s Advancing Precision Medicine programme, which supports the development of digital and data tools to improve diagnosis and treatment. MRC also enables academic-industry partnerships through its Industry Collaboration Framework.
UKRI does not typically maintain disease‑specific research strategies, instead providing open funding routes for the most impactful research across disciplines. Targeted work can be supported where needed. For example, in 2020, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHCR), the Scottish Government and MRC funded the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership to identify ME/CFS research priorities.
Asked by: Alison Hume (Labour - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what mechanisms are in place to support collaboration between Government-funded bodies and private-sector researchers following the identification of multiple biological pathways implicated in ME by the LOCOME study.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Medical Research Council (MRC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), funds a broad portfolio of health research, including researcher led proposals using combinatorial genomic analysis. MRC has prioritised research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) for many years, investing over £4.65 million since 2020, and continues to welcome high quality applications in this area.
UKRI supports collaboration between Government funded bodies and private sector researchers across its councils and Innovate UK. This includes funding the LOCOME study led by Precision Life, through Innovate UK’s Advancing Precision Medicine programme, which supports the development of digital and data tools to improve diagnosis and treatment. MRC also enables academic-industry partnerships through its Industry Collaboration Framework.
UKRI does not typically maintain disease‑specific research strategies, instead providing open funding routes for the most impactful research across disciplines. Targeted work can be supported where needed. For example, in 2020, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHCR), the Scottish Government and MRC funded the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership to identify ME/CFS research priorities.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which department is responsible for making decisions and research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) as part of the Final Delivery Plan.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care is responsible for the overall delivery of the final delivery plan on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
To address the breadth of the ME/CFS research challenge, the NIHR and the Medical Research Council (MRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, play complementary roles in the United Kingdom landscape by funding research across the research system, with MRC funding aetiological and early-stage translational science and NIHR funding later stage translational and applied clinical work.
The NIHR and MRC are working together to deliver the research actions outlined in the ME/CFS final delivery plan that we published in July.