Write a commentMLA Dominic Bradley met recently with members of Newry and Mourne ME-Fibromyalgia Support Group to hand in a petition at Stormont.
The MLA believes Northern Ireland has “a chance to lead the way” by developing a more sympathetic and paced approach to the treatment of the debilitating illness, ME-Fibromyalgia for local patients.
The illness causes widespread chronic pain and, according to Mr Bradley, an estimated 7,000 ME and FMS patients here are unable to access specialist medical care.
“Approximately 25% are unable to leave their homes or beds. Something needs to be done,” said Mr Bradley, who recently presented a petition to the Assembly Speaker on behalf Newry & Mourne ME-Fibromyalgia Support Group and ME and FMS patients in N. Ireland.
The petition, which will be handed on to the Health Minister, Edwin Poots, calls for full adoption of the Canadian Consensus Criteria for ME in Northern Ireland.
“I will not go into the technicalities of the Canadian Consensus Criteria being called for Northern Ireland, suffice to say that they form an approach to both ME and FMS which is more enlightened, and which is much more likely to bring progress to the patient than the current approach here,” said Mr Bradley.
“Fifty international ME experts agree the Canadian Consensus Criteria (CCC) should be immediately adopted both for medical diagnosis and for clinical research for ME.
“Further to that, they say the Canadian Consensus Criteria should be used as the basis for future revisions in the light of ongoing research. (ME and FMS are often medically confused.) Northern Ireland is in a unique situation, in that it can independently choose to adopt the CCC for ME. This move would give local doctors the best means to accurately identify patients with ME and this could potentially lead to better prospects for patient recovery and hopefully an earlier return to a productive life.”
Mr Bradley added: “Unfortunately, current NICE guidelines recommend that ME patients should have Graded Exercise Therapy (GET) to help them recover. GET is now known to be harmful for ME patients.
“Adopting the CCC would allow Northern Ireland to take the lead in developing a more sympathetic and paced approach to the treatment of ME. Northern Ireland has a chance to lead the way by fully adopting the CCC; by promoting the understanding of ME and FMS as physical illnesses; and perhaps even by creating an ME and FMS Centre of Clinical Excellence.”
