MSP criticises waiting times ME sufferers in Fife have to endure

Fifers with ME are having to wait nearly a year to get medical support despite being the only region to have a specialist nurse.

Mid Scotland and Fife Green MSP Mark Ruskell has backed a petition to the Scottish Parliament asking for more investment in medical research about the condition.

Calls are also being made for more specialist nurses to be recruited in Fife to help provide medical support for those suffering from the long-term neurological condition.

The disease affects more than 21,000 people across Scotland and causes profound and disabling ill-health. One in four patients is home or bed-bound and quality of life is some of the lowest recorded of any chronic disease.

Mr Ruskell said: “There is a shocking level of ignorance about ME in the NHS. Specialist nursing support is largely unavailable and in Fife, the only area where it is offered, sufferers have to wait nearly a year to get the critical support they need.

“It’s clear we are failing a huge population of ME sufferers in Scotland. More focused research into causes and treatments is needed while every NHS board must put in place the resources needed to properly care for sufferers.”

The Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee is considering the petition and will be gathering more evidence in the coming months.

The county’s specialist nurse, Kevin Anderson, last month addressed politicians at Holyrood.

He addressed the lack of training given to doctors in how to deal with the condition and told how there are “more pandas in Scotland than ME nurses”.

Mr Anderson said at the time: “If there were more ME specialist nurses in the NHS, we would not only be able to help improve the lives of those affected by the illness, but also educate those across all health care professions.

“It’s scary to find out that many GPs and other doctors don’t know what ME is, let alone how to manage it.”