The following resources aim to help professionals feel more confident supporting people with ME. All are based on the 2021 NICE guideline for diagnosing and managing ME/CFS.
Learna’s free CPD-accredited learning module on ME/CFS by Dr Nina Muirhead is composed of ten clinical cases, assessing professionals’ knowledge. They will receive a one CPD point on successful completion of the module.
As part of our Learn about ME project funded by the Scottish Government (April 2022 to March 2025), we produced 12 Learn about ME podcasts sharing insight and experience from patients and health professionals, to accompany Dr Muirhead’s module.
- Episode 1 – Learn about ME overview, with guests describing how the module can improve experience and outcomes for both patients and professionals.
- Episode 2 – Learn about ME and long COVID, and its similarities to ME/CFS.
- Episode 3 – Learn about ME and the 2021 NICE guideline on diagnosing and treating ME/CFS in children, adults and young people.
- Episode 4 – Learn about ME in Medical Schools, with insight from medical students.
- Episode 5 – Learn about ME and social care, highlighting that ‘reablement’ is not an appropriate approach for someone with ME/CFS.
- Episode 6 - Learn about ME and Nursing, highlighting how much of the learning from the module can be applied to people with long Covid as well as those with ME/CFS.
- Episode 7 - Learn about ME and Physiotherapy, with a focus on being person-centred as people with M.E. can all present very differently
- Episode 8 - Learn about ME and DecodeME, the world’s largest genetic study of ME/CFS.
- Episode 9 – Learn about ME and GP Prescribing, which considers what GPs need to remember when prescribing for individual symptoms and/or associated condition such as have Postural tachycardia syndrome.
- Episode 10 - Learn about ME and Paediatrics with consultant Dr Binita Kane and Helen Gibson, whose teenage daughter has ME/CFS.
- Episode 11 - Learn about ME and Occupational Therapy, looking at pacing with energy a person-centred approach.
- Episode 12 – Learn about severe ME, with insight from severe and very severe patients, plus Dr Robin Kerr and Helen Brownlie of the 25% ME Group.
Dr Muirhead and Action for ME clinician Dr Robin Kerr also a free Learn about ME webinar for GPs [LINK] on in September 2024. All attendees who responded to the webinar poll agreed that they feel more confident to support patients with ME as a result. While primarily aimed at GPs, it also offers a simple overview of ME that patients have told us they find helpful in understanding the condition.
NHS England offers the following e-learning modules
- Introduction to ME/CFS is accessible to all (see below) and aims to introduce the complex nature of ME/CFS. The session explains what ME/CFS is, discusses the potential causes and diagnostic challenges and provides an overview of possible management strategies.
- NHS England’s ME/CFS: guidance for community-based healthcare practitioners e-learning module aims to inform and empower community-based healthcare practitioners with the knowledge and tools needed to effectively diagnose, manage and support patients.
- The third and final module aimed at clinicians, will be available late 2025 and focus on long-term management of ME/CFS, treatment recommendations and pharmacological solutions.
PLEASE NOTE: Accessing NHS England e-learning modules requires an NHS Learning Hub registration.
The NHS and social care workforce are classed as Learning Hub Full users and can access all resources, plus additional content marked as appropriate. Individuals who are not within the NHS or social care scope can register for a Learning Hub General user account using their personal email address. General users will then be granted access to resources that are accessible to the wider audience.
