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Neuropsychiatry
Review
NICE guideline on ME/CFS: robust advice based on a thorough review of the evidence
  1. Peter Walter Barry1,
  2. Kate Kelley1,
  3. Toni Tan1,
  4. Ilora Finlay2
  1. 1 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, London, UK
  2. 2 Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Peter Walter Barry, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2nd Floor, 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ, UK; Peter.Barry{at}nice.org.uk

Abstract

In 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence produced an evidence-based guideline on the diagnosis and management of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a disabling long-term condition of unknown cause. The guideline provides clear support for people living with ME/CFS, their families and carers, and for clinicians. A recent opinion piece published in the journal suggested that there were anomalies in the processing and interpretation of the evidence when developing the guideline and proposed eight areas where these anomalies were thought to have occurred. We outline how these opinions are based on a misreading or misunderstanding of the guideline process or the guideline, which provides a balanced and reasoned approach to the diagnosis and management of this challenging condition.

  • chronic fatigue syndrome

https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2023-332731

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors PWB drafted the manuscript. All authors have contributed equally and have commented on iterative drafts and agreed the final version.

    • Funding The guideline referred to in this article was produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

    • Disclaimer The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of NICE.

    • Competing interests PWB was chair of the Guideline Committee that produced the 2021 NICE guideline on ME/CFS. IF was vice-chair of the Guideline Committee that produced the 2021 NICE guideline on ME/CFS. PWB, KK and TT are currently employed by NICE.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

    • Author note National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2021) Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (or Encephalopathy)/Chronic fatigue syndrome: diagnosis and management, available from https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng206.