Last week Julian Sturdy, the Member of Parliament for York Outer, was looking into the impact of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) in York, and engaging with the York ME Community, the local support group for those affected by this illness.
ME affects around 800 people in the York area, and an estimated 250,000 across the country. It is a very serious and debilitating condition, with symptoms including profound and disabling fatigue, impaired brain functioning, pain, and sleep problems, and can leave many sufferers bed-bound.
Mr Sturdy has discussed the position in York with Bill Clayton of the York ME Community. They emphasise that one of the most important ways of addressing ME is to raise general awareness of the condition, as there is still a long way to go to ensure that ME is properly recognised across society. The Yorkshire Fatigue Clinic does valuable work in assisting local residents with ME, and their Therapy Director, Sue Pemberton, is available to go into local workplaces to give talks and provide information.
The new documentary film Unrest provides a vivid illustration of what it is like to cope with ME through the eyes of Jennifer Brea, a US academic who decided to record her experience after being diagnosed with the condition. It is being shown at City Screen York on 1st November, and the York ME Community are eager for as many people to attend as possible in order to raise awareness of the condition across the city.
Mr Sturdy has taken action to highlight ways the city could lead the way in marking the International Awareness Day for ME, which falls on 12th May each year. He has written to the Chief Executive of City of York Council, Mary Weastall, to suggest York participates in this during 2018, and how the Council could assist with doing this. He has also contacted the President of the York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce to enquire about the impact of this illness on the city’s businesses, and how they could help raise awareness of ME.
He has also acted on the concerns of several local residents regarding current clinical guidelines on the use of Graded Exercise Therapy (GET) to treat ME, which has led to many sufferers reporting a worsening of symptoms. Mr Sturdy has written to the Sir Andrew Dillon, the Chief Executive of NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) to formally raise these concerns.
After speaking to Mr Clayton, Julian Sturdy said: “It is vital to raise the profile of ME in York, and I will do all I can to assist local campaigners and sufferers on this. I would encourage anyone who is interested to attend the screening of Unrest on the 1st November, and to get in touch with the York ME Community.
I look forward to hearing back from the Council and Chamber of Commerce, and hope we may be able to organise something in York for ME International Awareness Day 2018.”