When the NHS fails ME patients, where do they turn?

A recent article in The Times (16 February 2026) shone a stark light on the state of NHS care for people living with severe myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). The case at the centre of the piece is distressing to read. However, for those of us who have worked with ME/CFS patients for decades, it is sadly not surprising.

The Times article is about the patient, Savannah Victora-May, who described her experience in terms that no one should have to use about their medical care. A Liberal Democrat MP raised her case in the House of Commons, and the charity Action for ME warned of “razor-sharp focus” on continued failures in NHS treatment for severe ME.

The article also recalled the 2021 death of Maeve Boothby O’Neill, who died from malnutrition caused by severe ME.  That tragedy prompted a coroner’s prevention of future deaths report highlighting what was described as “non-existent” specialist care.

The government committed in July to considering a new national specialist service for severe ME. So far, it has not followed through.

Not a new crisis, but a chronic one

Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) affects an estimated 400,000 people in England and Wales. ME is a complex neurological condition, most commonly triggered by viral infection. Yet for decades, many patients have been dismissed, misdiagnosed, or told their symptoms are psychological. Today, NICE guidelines now explicitly recognise that many patients have faced prejudice and disbelief, which is a vindication that has come far too late for thousands of sufferers.

At Breakspear Medical, we have been treating ME/CFS patients since decades before it was formally recognised by the NHS as a distinct condition.  We listened to our patients, researched their individual presentations, and ran comprehensive tests to identify underlying causes, such as Lyme disease and co-infections, reactivated Epstein-Barr virus, parasitic organisms, genetic weaknesses, and a range of other conditions and infections that mainstream medicine was often not looking for. From that foundation, we develop individualised treatments, nutritional support programmes, and immune-system enhancement protocols to address the root causes of their illness rather than simply managing symptoms.

What we offer that others cannot

Our approach begins with something deceptively simple: taking a full medical history and looking for the cause or causes. ME/CFS frequently involves reactivated latent viruses, such as Epstein-Barr, bacterial infections including Lyme disease and co-infections, gut dysbiosis, food sensitivities, and immune dysregulation. We recognise and can offer treatment for a cytokine shift that perpetuates allergies and undermines the body’s ability to fight viral infection.

Our treatments for ME/CFS patients include:

• anti-viral treatments targeting reactivated latent viruses
• nutritional therapy, including addressing gut dysbiosis
• allergy & sensitivity testing, with antigen-specific low-dose immunotherapy (LDI) for patients who have developed food intolerances
• oxygen therapy to help increase blood oxygen levels
• hyperthermia using our IRATHERM® near-infrared light therapy to relieve pain, treat fatigue states and helps kill infections
• detoxification to reduce the body’s toxic load
• Krebs cycle rectification  addressing disruptions in the body’s core energy production cycle, which can cause the profound fatigue ME patients experience
• psychological counselling to support coping strategies alongside physical treatment

We use a wide range of accredited laboratory testing, including stool, blood, urine and skin tests, to identify the underlying causes of each individual’s illness. No two ME/CFS patients are the same, and combination therapies are consistently more effective than single treatments.

Patients who came to us in wheelchairs have gone on to run marathons

We are proud to say that the above title is not marketing copy; it is the lived experience of patients like Laura Cook, who came to us barely able to walk and today has a career, a family, and ran her first marathon. Stories like hers are why we practise this kind of medicine.

Asking the right questions

The campaign for a national specialist service for severe ME is important and we support it wholeheartedly. Those who are severely ill, like Savannah Victora-May, need access to specialist care today, not after another round of government consultations.

If you or someone you love is living with ME/CFS and has been failed by conventional pathways, we encourage you to get in touch with our team or explore what we offer on our ME/CFS treatment page.

Breakspear Medical is based in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. We are registered with the Care Quality Commission. To book a consultation, call +44 (0)1442 261 333 or email info@breakspearmedical.com.