Tel: +44 (0)1892 863637
BurrswoodGroombridge
Tunbridge Wells
Kent, TN3 9PY
Funded ME/CFS support programme launched at Burrswood Hospital
NHS sources say CFS/ME affects about 250,000 people in Britain today yet NHS provision is extremely limited for those who are severely affected, with few services offering home visits and designated hospital beds being almost non-existent. Burrswood Hospital, near Tunbridge Wells, has been awarded a substantial grant to enable people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) to receive treatment.
Over the last decade Burrswood Hospital has seen many patients with CFS/ME and unexplained fatigue. As a result of that experience they have developed a programme for the in-patient management of individuals with CFS/ME.
In a recent development, patients now have the chance to take part in a research project that is being funded by the Guild of Health (www.gohealth.co.uk). The grant of £91,000 will contribute towards the cost of treatment and care at Burrswood Hospital for one patient each month over a two year period, starting immediately.
The funding will be allocated via a means tested bursary which would cover up to 60% of the cost of a 14 night stay on a Care and Counselling package, providing the patient is prepared to be part of the research project being undertaken between the University of Kent and Burrswood. Patients are actively being sought.
The outcomes achieved will further inform clinicians on helpful therapeutic approaches for many people with this condition. Dr Paul Worthley, Senior Resident Physician at the non-surgical hospital in Kent, explained that currently there is limited evidence available to guide best practice for CFS/ME patients.
Burrswood has a long track record in caring for people with CFS/ME and has frequently seen people returned to health again. One young woman, a former solicitor, told her story of being brought back to a near normal life after years of a “twilight existence”. She is convinced that Burrswood’s whole person approach will offer hope and healing to many. Her written account is a work in progress.
As part of its commitment to working with CFS/ME patients, Burrswood Hospital is also working in conjunction with the ME Trust www.metrust.org.uk whose aim is to significantly change the lives of those suffering from CFS/ME.
Anyone interested in taking part in the project should contact Burrswood Admissions Department on 01892 865988.