Report comment

These comments are clearly based on prejudice, not on any evidence base and are extremely offensive to people with CFS/ME. He does not seem to be aware of NICE Guidelines, published in August 2007, which state"CFS/ME is a relatively common illness: a general practice with 10,000 patients is likely to have up to 40 patients, half of whom will require input from specialist CFS/ME services. Physical symptoms can be as disabling as multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic conditions". Furthermore WHO classified it as a neurological illness and guidance for the management of this disabling condition exist in Canada, USA, Australia and the Netherlands. As well as ignoring NICE guidance, and WHO classification he obviously doesn't read the BMJ either as a recent study, by Dr. Esther Crawley, published in 2011 showed that 1% of secondary school children missed up to 20% of school because of CFS/ME. He says people who do not work don't get CFS/ME but it is estimated that there are 25,000 children with this condition.
I feel sorry for the any patients of this GP faced with an alarming lack of knowledge on the evidence on CFS/ME conducted by his own profession. Still its easier to spout prejudice without checking the facts when you post comments anonymously.
As a parent of an adolescent diagnosed with CFS/ME for the last 5 years and a senior NHS manager I am aware of a considerable body of clinical evidence which refutes the above comments. I suggest a bit of continuous professional development might be useful.
Mary Parkes