Action for ME blog post, 11 December 2017: Webinar recording now online

A recording and the slides from our latest educational webinar for primary healthcare professionals are now available to view in the Health and Care Professionals section of our website. ‘Meeting the needs of people with M.E./CFS – essential facts and practical tips’ was hosted by Emily Beardall, an Action for M.E. volunteer and pharmacist with personal experience of M.E./CFS on Thursday 30 November.

A poll of those taking part in the webinar showed that 87% rated it either four or five out of five for being useful or extremely useful.

Serving as an introduction to M.E./CFS for health and social care professionals, the webinar aimed to increase understanding and awareness of this debilitating illness by reviewing current symptom-management advice and good practice while also providing practical tips to enhance appointments and treatment regardless of the healthcare setting or reason for seeing the patient. It also provided access to downloadable information and guidance to support professionals in their day to day practice including signposting to self-management resources and services.

Emily Beardall is a pharmacist who has lived with M.E. and fibromyalgia since her teens. Her M.E. was undiagnosed until four years ago, when she had a severe relapse soon after qualifying as a pharmacist. As a result of her 26 years of living with M.E., she has a personal understanding of the devastating impact the illness can have on a person’s life, along with the difficulties many people with M.E. encounter when seeking medical help. Emily uses her perspective as both a patient and health professional to volunteer with Action for M.E., writing regular roundups of research in lay terms for patients, health topics for the charity’s magazine and a guide to M.E./CFS for pharmacy teams, as well as advising the charity on health policy.