How is this achieved?
* A 24 week course of complementary therapies and motivational workshops...
* Access to information about other services useful to you.
Is this a satire on irrelevent joke services in lieu of medicalisation of M.E.? This is nothing to do with "care" as commonly defined, it's all about patronising reassurance and a kick up the backside to become "responsible" and not "avoidant", a la Peter White & co.
"* 38% visited their GP less often"
Most pwME hardly ever need to see a GP who rejects ME, cannot accept ME disability and promotes CBT/GET "evidence". Basically we need NHS GPs worth seeing.
"* 32% were able to reduce their medication"
WHAT medication? LOL The only way that is going to happen is with a big gun like an antiviral or immune modulator, but it may be we'll need a whole set of pills. As it stands people with progressive ME gather complications.
"* 94% found the Programme helped them to understand how their lifestyle affected their health
* 91% made positive changes to their lifestyle to improve their health"
People with ME can't afford a "lifestyle" -- ME aready robs that and enforces volitional intractability. We're not talking about so-called chronic fatigue people. PWME are not morons so why would the tough lesson of an exertional disease need explaining? It's validation and clinical acceptance and practical support that is required.
"* 92% said their mental wellbeing had improved"
The relevence of which is...?
All these figures demonstrate is that self-selection bias is broadly appropriate, not the therapy itself. We need to know how many people appropriately refused (or were too ill) to take up this stuff to get an unbiased picture, not to mention the case definition and severity level.
"* 90% said they now take more responsbility for their health"
PWME are already forced to take TOO MUCH blame and responsibility and basically be their own physicians. Don't you think it's about time the so-called [biomedical] caring professions took some and included us in their remit? The sick role is supposed to absolve patients of the responsibiliies of the well. We're still awaiting that basic right.
Not that this is the only patronising nonsense the aim of which seems to make health officials look concerned while keeping patients distracted from holding the establishment/ institutions accountable.
Like many public health bodies/charities, this thing looks heavily orientated toward mental health:
http://www.touchstone-leeds.co.uk/view.aspx?id=23