PE398 calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to carry out a strategic needs review assessment on myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome, and to take a range of other steps in relation to the treatment of and research into those conditions. The Public Petitions Committee considered the petition and passed it to us for our consideration.We had a debate on the issue recently, soon after the English chief medical officer's report on the matter. Some positive steps were taken in recognition of the condition. The members' business debate on ME was well attended and brought a positive response, if I recall, from the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care, Hugh Henry. He said that the Executive would examine the issue over a three-month period—that was about a month ago. Any consideration of the issue by the committee should be set against the background that we know that the Executive is examining the issue positively and proactively.
Official Report · Committee
Petitions
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (PE398)
Speakers
Choose an MSP to read only their contributions- Margaret Smith LD 6
- John McAllion Lab 4
- Bill Butler Lab 1
The record
11 contributionsI declare my interest as the convener of the cross-party group in the Scottish Parliament on ME and as the convener of the Public Petitions Committee. The petitions on this subject are among the most impressive that have appeared before the Public Petitions Committee. The Executive's response, although helpful, does not address the central issues that are raised in the petition. The response refers to the possibility of asking the Public Health Institute of Scotland to consider the feasibility of a Scottish needs assessment programme after the CMO's report is published. We have no information on whether the Executive will actually do that.Equally, the Executive clearly believes that it should address the suggestion that there should be a centre of excellence, as is called for in the petition. It has recently come to light that research projects into ME are being funded at the moment, but they are all being funded from a psychiatric aspect, which the petitioners are opposed to. There is a short-term working group, and we know who the chairman is, but we do not yet know the group's remit. The cross-party ME group is to elect two patient representatives to that working group.Would it be possible to appoint a reporter to monitor developments and report back to the committee on what is happening? The petition needs to be watched carefully.
Are there any comments? Everyone seems to be happy with that.Do we have a volunteer to be the reporter?
I do not know whether I would be qualified, given that I am the convener of the cross-party group.
No. Could I have clarification? You said that a reporter should be appointed to monitor the situation.
To monitor the situation with the working group and report back to the committee.
We should seek clarification on the points that you have made about finding out about the remit and consider whether we can have input into that remit in the way that we did into the hepatitis C working group. We should seek clarification of some of the other points that are covered by the petition but might not be covered by the short-term working group. If members are happy, we will appoint a reporter to continue with that work on behalf of the committee. Do we have a volunteer?
It should be John McAllion.
Are you happy to do that?
I am happy to do it.
We are happy to accept that you should do it. You can count yourself as being the committee's expert on the issue. It would not make sense to not make use of that expertise.
In this meeting
Everything on 6 Mar 2002 →- Scottish Parliament Health and Community Care Committee Wednesday 6 March 2002 (Morning) Committee business · 1
- Items in Private Procedure · 1
- Tobacco Advertising and Promotion (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1 Bill debate · 110
- Petitions Petitions · 7
- Petitions Petitions · 1
- Petitions Petitions · 2
- Petitions Petitions · 5
- Petitions Petitions · 1
- Petitions Petitions · 1
- Petitions Petitions · 1
- Petitions Petitions · 1
- Petitions Petitions · 5
- Petitions Petitions · 1
- Petitions Petitions · 1
- Petitions Petitions · 11
- Petitions Petitions · 7
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