HEALTH SERVICES:
Guide to Local (North London) NHS M.E. Services

We believe this information is fairly comprehensive but probably not exhaustive. If you know of help available from other providers not mentioned here then please pass the information on to us.

PCT stands for “Primary Care Trust” throughout.

 N.B. This information was correct in August 2007, the last time the details were checked with providers.

St Bartholomew’s Hospital

St. Bartholomew's Hospital,
Chronic Fatigue/ME Service,
William Harvey House,
61 Bartholomew Close,
West Smithfield,
London.
EC1A 7BE

Tel: 020 7601 8108; 020 7601 7847

Consultants: Professor Peter White (Honorary Consultant in Psychological Medicine); Dr Maurice Murphy (Consultant Physician in Infectious Diseases & Immunology) (both part time).
Name of CFS / ME Programme: Chronic Fatigue Service.
Areas covered: By postcode rather than borough: All of City and Hackney and Tower Hamlets, Isle of Dogs E2, Forest Gate E7 and Homerton E9.
Referrals from outside these areas? Only if the PCT will fund it (rare).
Referrals taken from: Medical practitioners, particularly GPs.
Home services for housebound patients? No.
Service / programme offered:

· Physiotherapy with Graded Exercise Therapy

· Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

· Psychological therapies including couple and family therapy

· Occupational therapy including pacing

· Specialist medical assessment and management

Length of waiting time for assessment: 11 weeks
Length of waiting time for treatment: usually 4-6 weeks
Length of time care provided: depends on need and resources; may be time-limited.
Number of people with CFS / ME seen in the past year: approx 200 new patients.
Inpatient services? No.

Royal Free Hospital

Department of Infection and Immunity,
Royal Free Hospital,
Pond Street,
London.
NW3 2QG

Tel: 020 7599 1712
Website: www.royalfree.nhs.uk

Consultant: Dr Gabrielle Murphy (part time).
Name of CFS / ME Programme: The Fatigue Service.
Areas covered: Barnet, Enfield, Haringey and Islington.
Referrals from outside these areas? No.
Referrals taken from: GPs, hospital doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists.
Home services for housebound patients? No.
Service / programme offered:

· Graded Exercise (“a type of physiotherapy”)

· Graded Activity (“a type of occupational therapy”)

· Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

· Blood tests “to exclude other conditions”: those recommended by the CMO's report (2002)

· Onward referrals to the hospital’s palliative care, gastroenterology, dietetics, pain and allergy teams and “as indicated according to the consultation”

Length of waiting time for assessment: usually 4 weeks.
Length of waiting time for treatment: variable. There is normally no waiting for treatment except for one-on-one therapies which may have a wait of around 8 weeks.
Length of time care provided: between 8 and 16 weeks of treatment, with follow-up for up to two years.
Number of people with CFS / ME seen in the past year: not known exactly, probably around 200 new patients per year.
Inpatient services? No, although some patients are admitted via other channels (the medical teams) who will then be reviewed by the Fatigue Service.

The Royal London Homeopathic Hospital

Royal London Homeopathic Hospital,
60 Great Ormond Street,
London.
WC1N 3HR

Tel: 020 7391 8891 (reception)
Email: rlhhpatients@uclh.nhs.org
Website: www.rlhh.org.uk

Consultants: Dr Saul Berkowicz, Dr Helmut Roniger and Dr Christian Hasford.
Name of CFS / ME Programme: Chronic Fatigue Service.
Areas covered: All of London, however some PCTs are refusing to cover the cost for referrals (the hospital is currently in negotiation with them). Even if your PCT does not cover cost, your GP surgery may do so.
Referrals from outside these areas? Yes (although some exceptions, specific areas outside London).
Referrals taken from: GPs, and tertiary consultant referrals.
Home services for housebound patients? No.
Service / programme offered:

· Pacing programme with nurses/occupational therapist

· Autogenic training/relaxation techniques/hyperventilation retraining

· Graded activity

· Dietary/nutritional management

· Homeopathy

· Medical treatment

Length of waiting time for assessment: 3 to13 weeks
Length of waiting time for treatment: up to 13 weeks
Length of time care provided: Treatment not time limited.
Number of people with CFS / ME seen in the past year: approx 4 new patients/week, and 10-15 follow-ups/week.
Inpatient services? No.

Queen’s Hospital

(This is the M.E service which used to be based in Oldchurch Hospital)

Queen’s Hospital
CFS Team Office
Sahara A Ward
Reception area
Rom Valley Way
Romford
Essex RM7 0AG

Tel: 01708 435044
Website: www.bhrhospitals.nhs.uk/cfs

Consultant: Professor Leslie Findley (Clinical Director of Fatigue services).
Areas covered: Nationwide.
Referrals taken from: GPs, consultants. They request that certain investigations have been carried out by the GP prior to referral. Inpatients: funding will need to be secured from your Primary Care Trust i.e. you would need to ask your GP to request the necessary funding from them. Outpatients: this may or may not be necessary, depending on whether or not your PCT has an existing agreement with the hospital.
Home services for housebound patients? If the patient is bed-bound and unable to attend they will ask for a Psychology report and send a questionnaire for the patient/family carer to fill in. In exceptional cases a home visit will be offered but it is rare.
Service / programme offered: The hospital has a dedicated multi-disciplinary fatigue team, offering an inpatient and outpatient service. Outpatients:

· A combination of occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychological therapies, counselling. You may also be able to see a social worker.

Length of waiting time for assessment: Normally 8-12 weeks depending on how quick the PCT is to agree funding.
Length of waiting time for treatment: Immediately after the initial consultation.
Length of time care provided: Dependant on individual need.
Number of people with CFS / ME seen in the past year: Around 100
Inpatient services? Yes, for those patients unable to cope with an outpatient service. 8 beds. Length of stay generally varies between 4 weeks and 6 months.

Camden PCT

Camden Physical Disability and Brain Injury Team,
The Peckwater Centre,
6 Peckwater Street,
Kentish Town,
London.
NW5 2TX

Tel: 020 7530 6400

Manager: Ms Wolfie Smith
Name of CFS / ME Programme: CFS Pathway.
Areas covered: Camden.
Referrals from outside these areas? No.
Referrals taken from: “Anybody involved with the client. Once client is known to us we take self-referrals”.
Home services for housebound patients? Yes (only this type of service; patients must be completely housebound).
Service / programme offered:

· Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: 1 session with a clinical psychologist to “introduce the concept”

· Graded exercise / activity: 6 sessions with a physiotherapist

· Fatigue management and pacing: 6 sessions with an occupational therapist

Comments: “The aim of the programme is for service users to understand the process so they can make progress with it themselves, and to get them active enough to attend outpatient services. If longer term CBT is required then we look to community mental health services.”
Length of waiting time for assessment: 2-3 weeks
Length of waiting time for treatment: 3-6 months
Length of time care provided: “Session limited i.e. six sessions could be done in six weeks or take all year”.
Number of people with CFS / ME seen in the past year: about 5

City and Hackney PCT

Adult Physical Disabilities Team,
City & Hackney PCT,
St Leonard’s,
Nuttall Street,
London.
N1 5LZ

Tel: 0207 683 4400
Head of Service: Ms Cathy Williams.

The Adult Physical Disabilities Team consists of five separate services, of which the following two may be relevant to people with ME:

1. Name of Service: Community Re-ablement Team
Tel: 0207 683 4382
Team Leader: Nicholas Flynn
Areas covered: City and Hackney
Referrals from outside these areas? No
Referrals taken from: From health professionals or self-referral. (All referrals should be made on their own referral form, available by calling the tel. number above.)
Home services for housebound patients? Yes, if necessary, also at various locations in the community. Location will be that most appropriate for the individual client.
Service / programme offered: Individually tailored, client-centred. An assessment is made of need, agreement reached with the client about which problems they would like addressed, and a treatment plan arrived at. The therapists and client then work towards set goals and progress is evaluated on a regular basis. The service can provide:
· Physiotherapy
· Occupational therapy
· Disability counselling
· “Some access” to speech therapy
Comments: This is not a dedicated ME programme, but a service available to those with a wide range of disabilities.
Length of waiting time for assessment: Varies, as people are prioritised according to need.
Length of waiting time for treatment: Treatment follows immediately on from assessment
Length of time care provided: Dependant on individual need. A person will only be “discharged” if they are not progressing or by mutual agreement.

2. Name of Service: Wheelchair Service
Tel: 0207 301 3250
Team Leader: Ms Meg Bodycoat
Areas covered: City and Hackney
Referrals from outside these areas? No
Referrals taken from: Referrals must be signed by GP (unless from an OT, Physiotherapist or nurse).
Home services for housebound patients? Yes, if necessary (assessments and follow-ups), also at various locations in the community. Location will be that most appropriate for the individual client.
Service / programme offered: Supply and maintenance of wheelchairs and “associated seating”

Haringey PCT

Haringey PCT does not have a disability service as operated by the other boroughs we contacted. However, the following services may be of use.

Tel. for Haringey PCT: 020 8442 6000

Physiotherapy Outpatients - based either at St. Ann's Hospital, Tottenham or the North Middlesex Hospital.
The Integrated Community Therapy Team for Haringey, who provide home based physiotherapy or OT for people resident in Haringey who require these services but cannot access out-patient physiotherapy, or where the intervention has to be in the person's home.
The Psychology Service, based at St, Ann's hospital, Tottenham.

All the above services are accessible by GP referral.

Islington PCT

Islington Outlook
133 S John’s Way
London N19 3RQ

Tel: 020 7527 1501

Manager: Darren Ayres
Areas covered: Islington
Referrals from outside these areas? No
Referrals taken from: Anybody involved with the client. The Client can self-refer using their referral forms.
Home services for housebound patients? Yes
Service / programme offered:
The service aims to help clients manage their condition.

· Cognitive Behavioural Therapy:

· Relaxation

· Pacing and grading

· Goal setting

· Graded exercise programme

Comments: This is a new service, recently arising from the splitting of the existing team at the Peckwater Centre which used to cover both Camden and Islington.
Length of waiting time for assessment: Aim to see client within first couple of weeks after referral
Length of waiting time for treatment: 2-8 weeks depending on severity
Length of time care provided: Session limited i.e. six sessions could be done in six weeks or take all year
Number of people with CFS / ME seen in the past year: less than five