The chronic fatigue service (CFS) at St Helier and Sutton hospitals is the local multidisciplinary team (LMDT) and clinical network co-ordinating centre for people with chronic fatigue syndrome in southwest London and Surrey.
The chronic fatigue service was opened in early 2005 under the leadership of Dr Amolak Bansal, consultant immunologist at St Helier Hospital. The service was part of the department of health chronic fatigue clinical network collaborative to introduce services for individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome where none existed.
As there is currently no cure for chronic fatigue syndrome, treatment is presently based on the management of symptoms to improve function and quality of life. Management of symptoms will not necessarily take the symptoms away; however, there is evidence which supports a significant reduction in symptoms with improved quality of life through the implementation of lifestyle management strategies. We use a combined bio-psycho-social and cognitive behavioural therapy model in teaching patients to manage their symptoms.
We provide one-to-one consultations to patients, lifestyle management and education groups. We have a domiciliary service for severely affected patients. The purpose of home visits is to confirm diagnosis and provide advice on management to primary care providers.
Our section on this website is designed for patients being seen in the service to enable them to access information sheets and other resources mentioned in our clinics and groups programmes.
Please be advised that due to limited resources we can only provide advice and information regarding the management of chronic fatigue syndrome to patients currently in the service. If you have any queries of a general nature we advise you to contact your local support group or other voluntary CFS/ME organisations.
We do encourage local support services to contact us for information on management of CFS/ME in general and to liaise with us in the management of patients who are being seen in their services and ours.
CFS programme groups
The CFS team corrently provides a programme group, centered around lifestyle management, which is designed to give people with chronic fatigue syndrome strategies for making some life style changes that while initially challenging should help to improve ones overall quality of life in the longer term.
