I have replied to NICE today as follows:
...Secondly, we are surprised and concerned to see that the topic expert group consists of three psychiatrists, only two neurologists and no physicians from any other key clinical areas that ME/CFS involves - infection and immunology in particular.
ME (and CFS) is classified by the World Health Organisation in ICD10 as a disease of the central nervous system - a classification that is accepted by the Dept of Health. ME/CFS is not a psychiatric illness.
Why, then, did NICE decide that they required more psychiatrists than physicians and no other clinicians apart from two neurologists?
...Secondly, we are surprised and concerned to see that the topic expert group consists of three psychiatrists, only two neurologists and no physicians from any other key clinical areas that ME/CFS involves - infection and immunology in particular.
ME (and CFS) is classified by the World Health Organisation in ICD10 as a disease of the central nervous system - a classification that is accepted by the Dept of Health. ME/CFS is not a psychiatric illness.
Why, then, did NICE decide that they required more psychiatrists than physicians and no other clinicians apart from two neurologists?
Unfortunately, I can see the evasive answer coming:... "not chosen because they are psychiatrists but because they are leading experts in the field"... "produced the best evidence available to date"..."error of adopting a dualistic stance"..."ME/CFS is a multisystem illness"..."needs a multidisciplinary approach"...yada, yada, yada.