UK Government Responses on ME/CFS – February to March 2026

This document brings together UK Parliamentary questions and official government responses from February and March 2026 relating to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). It focuses on services for people with severe and very severe ME/CFS, research funding and priorities, benefits assessments, and accountability for delivery of the Government’s ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan.

Key Points

1. Services for Severe and Very Severe ME/CFS

• The Government’s ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan (published July 2025) includes a specific action to explore whether a nationally prescribed specialised service should be established for people with severe or very severe ME/CFS.
• The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England are actively discussing how to take this forward.
• No final decision or timeline has yet been announced; decisions will be made by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care following consultation with NHS England.
• Eligibility for any nationally prescribed specialised service would be assessed based on three factors: the number of people needing the service, the cost of provision, and the number of clinicians able to deliver it.

2. NHS Access and Community Care

• The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to returning to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks for consultant‑led treatment by March 2029.
• Progress on reducing waiting times and increasing appointment capacity is intended to help people with severe ME/CFS access care sooner.
• The NHS 10‑Year Health Plan aims to shift more care into community and neighbourhood services, enabling people who are housebound or bedbound to receive support closer to home.

3. Training and Professional Education

• All three modules of the NHS ME/CFS e‑learning programme are now live.
• The final module focuses specifically on managing severe and very severe ME/CFS, providing practical, evidence‑based guidance for healthcare professionals.

4. Research Funding and Priorities

• Responsibility for mechanistic and biomedical research largely sits with the Medical Research Council (MRC), while the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) focuses on later‑stage and applied research.
• The MRC has invested over £4.65 million in ME/CFS research since 2020 and continues to prioritise the condition.
• The Government has acknowledged that ME/CFS has historically been under‑researched relative to disease burden.
• While no comparative review of ME/CFS funding against other long‑term conditions is planned, efforts are ongoing to increase research capacity and stimulate new studies, including platform trials for post‑viral conditions such as ME/CFS.

5. Accountability and Delivery of the Final Delivery Plan

• Each action in the ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan has a designated lead organisation.
• DHSC holds overall responsibility for oversight and for holding other bodies, including NHS England, to account.
• Further work is ongoing to strengthen support for people whose condition fluctuates between moderate and severe ME/CFS.

6. Benefits and Disability Assessments

• ME/CFS is recognised as a disabling condition for the purposes of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
• PIP assessments are designed to take account of fluctuating conditions, assessing impact over a 12‑month period and considering how often difficulties occur.

7. Wider Awareness and Advocacy

• Parliamentary engagement with ME/CFS continues, alongside recognition of the role of charities and patient organisations in advocacy, research support, and community‑based assistance.

Overall Summary

Between February and March 2026, the Government reiterated its commitment to improving care, research, and support for people with ME/CFS, with particular attention to those with severe and very severe illness. While concrete decisions on specialised national services are still pending, work is ongoing through NHS England, professional training programmes, and research funding bodies. The emphasis remains on community‑based care, better clinician education, and gradual strengthening of services under the ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan.