John Ashworth

John Ashworth is a British politician of the Labour/Co-op Parties. He represents the constituency of Leicester South, UK.

Parliament written questions on ME/CFS

On October 19, 2018, four written questions on ME/CFS were submitted for the 2017-19 session.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,

1. how much his Department has spent on research into myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome over the past five financial years. (181584)
2. what pharmacological treatments are available to people living with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. (181651)
3. what support his Department provides to people in the UK who have myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. (181652
4. what assessment his Department has made of the prevalence of Myalgic Encephalopathy/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in England. (181653)

Online presence

• Email: jon.ashworth.mp@parliament.uk
• Website
• Twitter

See myalgic encephalomyelitis.

See chronic fatigue syndrome.

myalgic encephalopathy An alternate term that is sometimes used for myalgic encephalomyelitis, by people who believe the evidence for inflammation in ME is insufficient. This terminology reflects the belief that the "-itis" suffix implies inflammation.

myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) - A disease often marked by neurological symptoms, but fatigue is sometimes a symptom as well. Some diagnostic criteria distinguish it from chronic fatigue syndrome, while other diagnostic criteria consider it to be a synonym for chronic fatigue syndrome. A defining characteristic of ME is post-exertional malaise (PEM), or post-exertional neuroimmune exhaustion (PENE), which is a notable exacerbation of symptoms brought on by small exertions. PEM can last for days or weeks. Symptoms can include cognitive impairments, muscle pain (myalgia), trouble remaining upright (orthostatic intolerance), sleep abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal impairments, among others. An estimated 25% of those suffering from ME are housebound or bedbound. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies ME as a neurological disease.