Researchers from Bristol wanted to know what factors stopped children with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis accessing care. Using self-completed assessment forms for 405 children and semi structured interviews with parents they discovered that only 19% of children were seen by the specialist unit within the NICE recommended timeframe.
Reasons for this included:
- GPs’, Paediatricians’ and parents’ lack of knowledge of the condition;
- negative attitudes and beliefs from GPs, Paediatricians and Child Psychiatrists;
- parents struggled to communicate an invisible illness that their child and not they themselves were experiencing.
They concluded that GPs, Child Psychiatrists and Paediatricians need more knowledge about CFS/ME and the appropriate referral pathways to ensure timeliness in referral to specialist services.
