Healthcare professionals across Scotland are being invited to undertake a one-hour training course to help their understanding of ME, which includes insights into a set of symptoms shared by some long covid patients.

The learning module, aimed particularly at GPs, medical students and allied health professionals, looks at the diagnosis and management of ME/chronic fatigue syndrome.

The training, part-funded by the Scottish government’s neurological framework, brings together ten case studies including a focus on ‘post exertional malaise’, where both people with ME and long covid find simple physical or mental activities can leave them feeling utterly debilitated.

The project is a partnership between Action for M.E., The M.E. Association, #MEAction Scotland and the 25% Group.

The training was developed by Dr Nina Muirhead, a dermatologist specialising in dermatological surgery and oncology, who chairs the UK Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME Research Collaborative and was herself diagnosed with the condition:

“Only after I developed ME myself did I realise that I had not understood the illness.

“Feeling the devastating effect of ME on myself and my life, I felt determined to offer something that changed that experience for other people.”

The training is complemented by a podcast where patients and clinicians discuss the difference that the right care and support can make to people living with ME.

Read more: Four NHS boards join major long covid study; Insight: Living with long covid; First long covid guidelines ‘just a starting point’

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