CFS/ME FORUM

PARLIAMENT HOUSE, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

Friday, 14^th November 2003

 

During the closing session of the Forum convened in the Victorian Legislative Assembly, Parliament House in Melbourne on Friday 14^th November 2003, the following resolution was carried by a unanimous vote of all those present.

 

1.         That the Federal, State and Territory Governments in Australia be requested, as a matter of urgency, to consider and address the following issues which were highlighted during the presentations and discussions at the Forum held today in Parliament House, Melbourne.

 

·        The inadequate recognition across Australia of the full spectrum of CFS/ME especially with respect to its most serious manifestations

 

·        The unacceptable consequences of widespread ignorance of the illness in the community giving rise to credibility issues which adds to and exacerbates the burden of those with CFS/ME

 

·        The urgent need for better guidance to assist the medical profession in diagnosis and determining appropriate treatment of CFS/ME

 

·        The consequences for CFS/ME patients and their carers of inadequate care and essential support services

 

·        The urgent requirement to address the need to improve the quality of life of persons with CFS/ME who are isolated or greatly restricted by their illness.

 

2.         That in order to facilitate the processes by which the Federal, State and Territory Governments of Australia consider and address the issues highlighted at the Forum and set out in the first resolution, the Ministers of Health in each of the Governments in Australia be asked to place CFS/ME on the agenda of the next meeting of the Council of Australian Government’s Health Ministers’ Council for full discussion.

 

3.         That in order to assist the Federal, State and Territory Governments of Australia to have an ongoing capacity to receive excellent professional and experienced advice on CFS/ME, the Federal Government be requested to fund and facilitate the establishment of a permanent national CFS/ME Forum comprising a panel of appointed experts whom together would be knowledgeable and/or experienced in all aspects of CFS/ME. The permanent national CFS/ME Forum would have as its prime objectives: (a) the giving of advice to Australian Health Ministers and their Departments whenever requested to do so; and (b) the provision of advice to the Ministers and their Departments in circumstances where, on its motion, the Forum considers advice on particular aspects of CFS/ME to be both timely and necessary.