SCOTTISH MATTERS
ED reported on progress relating to (a) publication of clinical guidance on ME/CFS for doctors in Scotland - a document partly based on the MEA purple booklet for health professionals: 'ME/CFS/PVFS: An Exploration of the Key Clinical Issues and (b) the Scottish Public Health Network Needs Assessment. As noted in previous MEA Board meeting reports, the timescale for both projects had to be re-organised in 2009. Progress was considerably delayed as a result.
The current situation is that the clinical guidance document has been reviewed and amended by a group of health professionals recruited by Lewis Ritchie, Professor of General Practice at the University of Aberdeen, following a previous negative review of last year's agreed draft by a representative of the Royal College of GPs. The Scottish Health Department have also required that there should be coordination in content and publishing schedule between the SGPS and the Needs Assessment.
Among comments from the health professionals in the review group, which have caused disagreements with patient representatives on the Cross-Party Group on ME, the representative of the Scottish Neurosciences Council's assertion that recognition of certain neurological symptoms is inappropriate for GP guidance has been the most controversial. However, the consultation period is effectively over, and Prof. Ritchie hopes that final revisions will provide a final draft which is a reasonable compromise, and which is intended for publication around early September.
