To all Call for Change supporters,
Much has happened since this petition was started 3 1/2 years ago asking for proper research, medical education and services for ME/CFS patients, and a public enquiry into how ME/CFS patients have been allowed to be so badly abused for so long. We are nowhere near reaching this goal, but important steps have been made and many great developments.
NICE and international guidelines
The most notable development is of course the UK NICE guideline. GET and CBT have now been officially removed as treatments for ME/CFS, and indeed most forms of exercise is not allowed. The Mayo Clinic has also released very helpful new consensus recommendations, and the European Network on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (EUROMENE) has its own version. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US has fully updated its information and provides very useful medical education. All this is great news as it means wherever in the world you are, you should no longer be harmed by inappropriate treatments.
Doctors with M.E.
Last summer saw the launch of the only professional association in the world that is led by experts with lived experience of ME/CFS. It is open to all doctors, health care professionals and scientists with ME/CFS or Long Covid, and promises to be a powerful voice that cannot be ignored. If this is you, join us! If you are an expert or scientist in the field of post-viral illness, join us and contribute your valuable expertise.
We have already made our presence felt. See our contribution to the conversation on the NICE fiasco here and here, our success securing flu vaccinations for ME/CFS patients, and our NICE update for GPs, which is relevant worldwide and being translated into multiple languages. For my personal story as the Founder of Doctors with M.E., see here.
Call for Change Australia
This petition has now been taken up in Australia and being supported by Doctors with M.E. (DwME). I urge all of you to sign the Australian petition also. Signatures are welcome worldwide.
Actions to take
1. Join Doctors with M.E.
With the advent of Long Covid, the launch of Doctors with M.E. couldn't be more timely. Many health care professionals with Long Covid are joining us as well. If you are a doctor, health care professional or scientist with ME/CFS or Long Covid, join us to help bring change. Together we have a strong voice.
2. Educate
Tell your doctors about Doctors with M.E. Print our NICE summary for GPs and bring it to them. It is available in French and Malay as well, and further translations are ongoing. Show our Education page to all your healthcare providers. All the best medical education resources worldwide are curated here in one place.
3. Sign and share
Share this petition with all your friends and family, and share the Australian petition also.