Ian Swales, MP amends his report on gov policy on CFS and ME (Three Parliamentary errors)
March 3, 2011
Ian Swales, MP amends his report on government policy on CFS and ME (Three Parliamentary errors)
Post #63 Shortlink: http://wp.me/pKrrB-Y7
On 2 February 2011, Ian Swales (Lib Dem, Redcar) addressed a Parliamentary Adjournment Debate on ME. During that debate, the Health Minister, Paul Burstow, had stated that the World Health Organisation (WHO) uses the composite term CFS/ME for this condition.
This was incorrect. The WHO does not use the composite terms “CFS/ME” or “ME/CFS”.
In a Parliamentary Written Answer to Mr Swales, dated 16 February, the Health Minister corrected his error [1].
Mr Burstow had clarified:
“…During the Westminster Hall debate, on 4 February 2011, I said that the World Health Organisation uses the composite term CFS/ME for this condition*. This was incorrect.
“The World Health Organisation classes benign myalgic encephalomyelitis and post viral fatigue syndrome under the same classification G93.3 ‘diseases of the nervous system’; subheading ‘other disorders of the brain’.
“The report of the CFS/ME Working Group to the Chief Medical Officer, in January in 2002, suggested that the composite term CFS/ME be used as an umbrella term for this condition, or spectrum of disease. This term is also used by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence for their clinical guidelines.
“We do, however, intend to seek further advice on our classification and will update the hon. Member in due course.”
[Note that although Health Minister, Paul Burstow, gave the date of Ian Swales’ Adjournment Debate as “4 February” in his Written Answer of 16 February, the Debate took place on 2 February 2011.]
On 17 February, Mr Swales published a report on his website which went out under the title “Swales wins battle with Government on ME”. This report had claimed:
“Ian Swales MP’s fight for better treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) continues as he succeeds in getting the Government to recognise ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) as different illnesses.”
But Mr Swales had misinterpreted the content of the Written Answer he had received from the Health Minister.
This has caused much confusion amongst ME and CFS patients.
Advocates have raised this misunderstanding with Mr Swales and with his Parliamentary Researcher.
Today, an amended report has been published on Mr Swales’ website under the same URL and date, but with a new title – this time it is called:
“Swales corrects Minister on World Health Organisation definition of ME”
I am appending both versions.
To recap, because this is important, and because there is a further error:
Paul Burstow, Health Minister, incorrectly stated on 2 February, during an Adjournment Debate, that the WHO uses the composite term CFS/ME for this condition. That error was corrected by Mr Burstow in his Written Answer of 17 February.
Ian Swales, MP, then claimed in a website report that he had succeeded in getting the government to recognise ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) as different illnesses. This was a misinterpretation of Mr Burstow’s own correction and clarification. Mr Swales’ Parliamentary Office has now amended his report.
The Countess of Mar, meanwhile, tabled a Written Question of her own for which a response was provided on 1 March, by Earl Howe [3].
The Countess of Mar had tabled:
“To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by the Minister of State for Health, Paul Burstow, on 2 February (Official Report, Commons, col. 327) that the World Health Organisation (WHO) described myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) and that this was the convention followed by the Department, in light of the fact that the WHO International Classification of Diseases 10 lists ME as a neurological disease with post viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS) under G93.3 and CFS as a mental health condition under F48.0 and that the latter specifically excludes PVFS, whether they will adhere to that classification.”
The response received on 1 March, was:
Earl Howe (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Quality), Health; Conservative)
“The department will continue to use the composite term chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) for this condition, or spectrum of disease, as suggested by the Chief Medical Officer in his 2002 report. We recognise the condition as neurological in nature.”
But the Countess of Mar’s Written Question also contains an error.
In the International version of ICD-10 (the version used in the UK and over 110 other countries, but not in the US which uses a “Clinical Modification” of ICD-9), CFS is not classified as a mental health condition under F48.0.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is listed in ICD-10 Volume 3: The Alphabetical Index, where it is indexed to G93.3, the same code as Postviral fatigue syndrome.
So in International ICD-10, Postviral fatigue syndrome, Benign myalgic encephalomyelitis and Chronic fatigue syndrome are all three coded or indexed to G93.3 under “G93 Other disorders of brain”, in Chapter VI (6): Diseases of the nervous system.
In International ICD-10, the Mental and behavioural disorders chapter is Chapter V (5).
http://www.who.int/classifications/apps/icd/icd10online/?gf40.htm+f480
Chapter V (5) Mental and behavioural disorders
Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders are coded between (F40-F48)
Neurasthenia
Fatigue syndrome
are classified under (F40-F48) at F48.0, which specifically Excludes
malaise and fatigue ( R53 )
and
postviral fatigue syndrome ( G93.3 )
So now you know what UK government policy is and that Mr Swales had misled himself.
The forthcoming US specific ICD-10-CM
Perhaps the focus can now return to more pressing issues – like the fact that in the US, a Partial Code Freeze is looming for the forthcoming US specific version of ICD-10, known as “ICD-10-CM”.
Under longstanding proposals, the committees developing ICD-10-CM intend to retain Chronic fatigue syndrome in the R codes, and code it under R53 Malaise and fatigue, at R53.82 Chronic fatigue syndrome (NOS), but propose to code for PVFS and ME in Chapter 6, under G93.3.
The R codes chapter (which will be Chapter 18 in ICD-10-CM) is the chapter for
“Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99)”
“This chapter includes symptoms, signs, abnormal results of clinical or other investigative procedures, and ill defined conditions regarding which no diagnosis classifiable elsewhere is recorded.”
Coding CFS patients under R53.82 will consign them to a dustbin diagnosis: there are no guarantees that clinicians will use the unfamiliar ME code or that insurance companies will reimburse for G93.3. It will make patients more vulnerable to the proposals of the DSM-5 Somatic Symptom Disorders Work Group. It will mean that ICD-10-CM will be out of line with at least four versions of ICD-10, including the Canadian “Clinical Modification”, and also out of line with the forthcoming ICD-11, where all three terms are proposed to be coded in Chapter 6 Diseases of the nervous system.
There are only seven months left before the 1 October Code Freeze and the clock is ticking.
Here is the first version of Mr Swales’ website report, followed by his amended version.
Version One:
http://ianswales.com/en/article/2011/455560/swales-wins-battle-with-government-on-me
Swales wins battle with Government on ME
February 17, 2011 3:45 PM
Ian Swales MP’s fight for better treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) continues as he succeeds in getting the Government to recognise ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) as different illnesses.
During Ian’s recent parliamentary debate on ME he argued that the Government needs to distinguish between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and ME to provide better treatment for the different illnesses.
However, Health Minister Paul Burstow MP responded by saying that the World Health Organisation classifies Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and ME as the same illness.
Following an outcry from the ME community about this statement, Ian challenged the Minister on his definition of CFS/ME. The Minister admitted that the definition he used in the debate was “incorrect”.
Commenting, Ian Swales MP said:
“I am pleased that the Government has now recognised that ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are two different illnesses.
“After the debate I received a lot of correspondence from the ME community about the Government’s definition of CFS/ME, so after doing some more research on the matter I decided it was right to clarify this point with the Minister. I know they will be reassured by this news.
“I hope that approaching ME as a distinct condition will help lead to better, more effective treatment for sufferers through better analysis of their possible different causes and symptoms.”
[Ends]
Version Two:
http://ianswales.com/en/article/2011/455560/swales-wins-battle-with-government-on-me
Swales corrects Minister on World Health Organisation definition of ME
February 17, 2011 3:45 PM
Ian Swales MP’s fight for better treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) continues as he succeeds in getting the Government to acknowledge that the World Health Organisation does not use the composite term CFS/ME for the condition.
During Ian’s recent parliamentary debate on ME he argued that the Government needs to distinguish between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and ME to provide better treatment for the different illnesses.
However, Health Minister Paul Burstow MP responded by saying that the World Health Organisation “uses the composite term CFS/ME for the condition”.
Following an outcry from the ME community about this statement, Ian challenged the Minister on his definition of CFS/ME. The Minister admitted that his statement was “incorrect”.
Commenting, Ian Swales MP said:
“I am pleased that the Minister has acknowledged the error he made in the debate.
“After the debate I received a lot of correspondence from the ME community about the Government’s definition of CFS/ME, so after doing some more research on the matter I decided it was right to clarify this point with the Minister. I know they will be reassured by this news.
“I will continue my campaign to get more effective treatment for sufferers of ME through better analysis of its causes and symptoms.”
[Ends]
The text of the Adjournment Debate can be read here, on Hansard
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
4.13 pmWatch video, here, on BBC News:http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/house_of_commons/newsid_9382000/9382412.stm
References:
[1] Written Answer: Paul Burstow to Ian Swales, 16 February 2011, 16 Feb 2011 : Column 864W:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110216/text/110216w0004.htm
[2] Amended Ian Swales website report:
http://ianswales.com/en/article/2011/455560/swales-wins-battle-with-government-on-me
[3] Written Answer: Earl Howe to The Countess of Mar, 01 March 2011:
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2011-03-01a.297.1
Hansard for above:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldhansrd/text/110301w0001.htm#11030162000766
[4] Hansard, House of Lords Debate: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, 22 January 2004:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200304/ldhansrd/vo040122/text/40122-12.htm
[5] Current codings in ICD-10 for Postviral fatigue syndrome; [Benign] myalgic encephalomyelitis and Chronic fatigue syndrome:
https://dxrevisionwatch.wordpress.com/icd-11-me-cfs/
dx revision watch 