NI ME working Group

The Northern Ireland ME Association finally secured a long sought-after meeting with the Health Minister, Mr Michael McGimpsey, in September this year. The outcome of this meeting was the establishment of a Working Group on ME, and this initial meeting took place at Castle Buildings, Stormont in October.

The Group is made up of DHSS&PS, Health Board & Health Trust Officials; the NI MEA delegates were Ken Hull (Chair, NI MEA) Mrs Jo Calder (NI Administrator), Mrs Shelley Gilfillan (Network Support) and Horace Reid. There were also a few other ME representatives who attended this initial meeting.

The discussion lasted almost 2 hours, and the patient representatives covered such a wide remit that part of the set Agenda has to be abandoned! Areas covered included the desperate need for a Specialist Facility, a Paediatric Specialist Facility, satellite clinics throughout the Province, Medical Students to receive training in ME, GPs to be more aware of the illness, better understanding with Benefits and Welfare Agencies,, schools & colleges and employers. It was emphasised that CBT or GET were NOT accepable forms of treatment for ME, and that any future Clinic/Facility must not be sited within Psychiatry. The NI MEA stated that it felt any such Clinic should be headed by a Physician.

The next meeting is due to take place in the New Year. The full Report of the October meeting will be put on the NI MEA website, and NI MEA members will also have details in the NI MEA Newsletter. Any further information will also be posted on the website as and when they take place. Watch this space!!!

Horace Reid is writing a series of blogs, which are also going to be included here. They are not, of course, formal minutes or notes, but personal observations by Horace.