Coroner emphasizes lack of specialist ME care

There’s an old proverb: an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree… “No Commissioned Service” The coroner noted the evidence showed there were no special hospitals, hospices, beds or healthcare provision available in England specifically to patients suffering severe ME. She concluded: “Consequently, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital had no commissioned service available to treat Maeve or patients like her.” “Ms Archer said the 2021 Nice guidelines on ME did not offer detailed advice for treating severe ME in either home care or community settings, stating there would likely be further deaths as a result.” She cautioned further deaths could occur as a result of inaction being taken. “This report is addressed directly to (Health Secretary) Wes Streeting and I encourage him to respond constructively and meaningfully.” I believe people living with postviral illnesses such as ME/CFID have been neglected too long. “Ministers seeking to address long-term sickness must improve care and treatment of sufferers.” In her report, Coroner has also sent copies to NHS, Medical Schools Council, medical research funders as well as Nice. “My plea as a distraught parent is for these bodies to act swiftly to reduce future deaths due to this awful illness. “Learn from this tragedy.” A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson expressed their heartfelt sympathies in this tragic instance for Maeve’s family and friends in this difficult time. “Every patient deserves to have their condition understood and treated to the best standard; yet here we see yet another case where care falls through the cracks.” Maeve was forced to battle her disease alongside healthcare system that consistently misunderstood and dismissed her.” “We believe it’s essential that we draw lessons from every report on future deaths prevention, and will carefully consider each report before taking necessary actions to respond accordingly. “We remain dedicated to improving care and support for those affected, with plans being put forth this winter for publishing a Final Delivery Plan to focus on increasing research funding, raising awareness through educational campaigns and enriching lives impacted by debilitating diseases like MS.”