English: Can I call for a single statement on support for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome, in Wales? Last Sunday, as you might be aware, was ME Awareness Day, on 12 May, and this month is ME Awareness Month. I called for a similar statement on 13 November, or last November, after I hosted an event here with the Welsh Association of ME and CFS Support and with ME Support in Glamorgan, and the showing of a film called Unrest, which led to calls for the health Secretary here to address as a matter of urgency the continuing need for improved access to timely diagnosis, for GPs to fully understand the symptoms of the condition, and for the development of a standardised training and awareness programme in Wales. We also saw a copy of the ME Trust's 2018-21 strategy 'A Vision into Action' paper, which said that parts of the UK, such as Wales, had no specialist services. Unfortunately, the Minister responded by stating she didn't think there was any need for supporting statements. The Minister is pleased with her refill policy and no doubt will be bringing something back to the Chamber in the course of it to tell us how well it's doing. Well, we haven't, as far as I'm aware, yet heard. I've now been contacted again by Dr Nina Muirhead, who spoke at that event, who has been diagnosed with ME/CFS herself, following glandular fever, who's not only a NHS doctor but an academic working at Cardiff University. She tells me that she's been in touch with the major health conditions policy manager at the Welsh Government, who she believes is now working on policy for major chronic health conditions, including ME/CFS, and she reiterates that, prior to becoming ill herself, she followed the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, which perpetuated her misunderstanding of the condition by recommending cognitive behaviour therapy and graded exercise, where, from her experience, there's no psychological component, and exercise, if anything, was making matters worse. She concludes that the reality of ME/CFS is a serious, heritable, neurological condition. I therefore call for a statement and hope that you will be more forthcoming than your predecessor when I called for a similar statement last November.
Welsh: A gaf i alw am un datganiad ar gymorth i bobl ag enseffalomyelitis myalgig, neu syndrom blinder cronig, yng Nghymru? Ddydd Sul diwethaf, fel y gwyddoch o bosibl, oedd Diwrnod Ymwybyddiaeth ME, ar 12 Mai, a'r mis hwn yw Mis Ymwybyddiaeth ME. Fe wnes i alw am ddatganiad tebyg ar 13 Tachwedd, neu fis Tachwedd diwethaf, ar ôl imi gynnal digwyddiad yn y fan yma gyda Chymdeithas Cefnogi ME a CFS Cymru a gyda Chymorth ME ym Morgannwg, a dangos ffilm o'r enw Unrest, a arweiniodd at alwadau i'r Ysgrifennydd iechyd yn y fan yma roi sylw brys i'r angen parhaus am well mynediad at ddiagnosis amserol, i feddygon teulu feddu ar ddealltwriaeth lawn o symptomau'r cyflwr, ac i ddatblygu rhaglen hyfforddi ac ymwybyddiaeth wedi'i safoni yng Nghymru. Hefyd, gwelsom gopi o strategaeth 2018-21 yr Ymddiriedolaeth ME, y papur 'Vision into Action', a oedd yn dweud nad oedd gan rannau o'r DU, fel Cymru, unrhyw wasanaethau arbenigol. Yn anffodus, ymatebodd y Gweinidog trwy ddweud nad oedd yn credu bod angen unrhyw ddatganiadau cefnogol. Mae'r Gweinidog yn fodlon â'i pholisi ail-lenwi ac mae'n siŵr y bydd ganddi rywbeth i'w chyflwyno i'r Siambr yn ystod ei gyfnod er mwyn dweud wrthym am ei hynt. Wel, hyd y gwn i, nid ydym ni wedi clywed eto. Nawr mae Dr Nina Muirhead, a siaradodd yn y digwyddiad hwnnw, wedi cysylltu â mi unwaith eto ac wedi cael diagnosis o ME/CFS ei hun, yn dilyn twymyn chwarennol, sydd, yn ogystal â bod yn feddyg GIG hefyd yn gweithio fel academydd ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd. Mae'n dweud wrthyf i ei bod wedi cysylltu â rheolwr polisi Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyflyrau iechyd difrifol, sydd yn ei thyb hi yn gweithio ar bolisi ar gyfer cyflyrau iechyd cronig difrifol, gan gynnwys ME/CFS, ac mae'n ailadrodd, cyn iddi fynd yn sâl ei hun, ei bod yn dilyn canllawiau'r Sefydliad Cenedlaethol dros Ragoriaeth mewn Iechyd a Gofal, a oedd yn cynnal ei chamddealltwriaeth o'r cyflwr trwy argymell therapi ymddygiad gwybyddol ac ymarfer graddedig, ond, o'i phrofiad hi, nid oes unrhyw elfen seicolegol, ac mae ymarfer corff, os rhywbeth, yn gwneud pethau'n waeth. Mae hi'n dod i'r casgliad bod realiti ME/CFS yn gyflwr niwrolegol difrifol, etifeddol. Galwaf felly am ddatganiad ac rwy'n gobeithio y byddwch yn fwy parod na'ch rhagflaenydd pan alwais am ddatganiad tebyg fis Tachwedd diwethaf.