Beyond shocking

Donella:

An excellent article.

I have a number of friend with ME and they way that they are treated by the benefits system and the medical system is beyond shocking. I have seen hardworking intelligent people reduce to penury and despair. The simplistic tick boxes of IB and DLA assessment bear no relationship to the reality of ME symptoms and limitations. The attitude of doctors and decision makers towards sufferers is insulting, offensive and deeply damaging.

Furthermore they way that ME is diagnosed in the UK is part of the problem...
I was diagnosed wrongly with ME many years ago and I believe that this is because the NHS refuse to endorse the Canadian diagnostic guidelines which would have picked up my autoimmune condition. The result was that my health was left to deteriorate to the point of being life threateningly ill. It is only since I moved to Belgium that I received a proper diagnosis. It is truly frightening. The NHS stick to outdated and erroneous diagnostic criteria which are a catch all for any 'unexplained' fatigue states. Furthermore they rely on psychological treatments which have been proven to be harmful to ME sufferers.

This obfuscation is all very convenient for the DWP whose aim is to deny benefits to ME sufferers and convenient for the NHS who deny them proper medical investigations and decent treatment. Care for ME sufferers is often left to struggling families and many are left completely unsupported, isolated and destitute. They often cannot fight their cause because they are too sick and exhausted to do so.

Something needs to be done about it.