The ME-CFS & FM Implementation Group, chaired by Prof Jonathan Richards (Cwm Taf Locality Clinical Director), has met twice during the first half of 2015.
This Group gives Health Boards (HBs) a chance to share experiences and encourage each other in implementing the recommendations of the Government’s Task & Finish Group Report. Patients are represented by Jan Russell for ME and Carol Ross for FM.
2015 goals for each Health Board:
- appoint an executive lead to oversee service development & be an advocate at Board level
- appoint a clinical lead/s to implement Report recommendations
- identify HB healthcare ‘speciality’ with responsibility
- develop a 3 year action plan
- begin to hold stakeholder group meetings
Each Health Board has now named at least one person to represent them at the meeting. Some HBs’ plans are well under way and others will be working hard to develop theirs before the next meeting in November.
It is not the job of the Implementation Group to make decisions about illness names, diagnostic criteria, causes and treatments of ME and FM, etc. It doesn’t discuss medical issues but strategy and planning issues.
The Government’s Task & Finish Report recommendations
“focus on strengthening implementation arrangements and improving patient voice in the system. In making its recommendations, the Task and Finish Group has sought to identify the infrastructure required to support system change.”
More information in the next issue of me voice, due out mid August 2015.
