Report of the joint working group of the Royal Colleges of Physicians, Psychiatrists and General Practitioners

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Report of a joint working group of the Royal Colleges of Physicians, Psychiatrists and General Practitioners on chronic fatigue syndrome, or the Joint Royal Colleges' Report is a British report published in 1996.

Aim

The report "aimed to provide the information necessary for knowledge-based care and indicate what facilities and services provisions were required for the management of CFS in primary health care."

The report also provided a summary of research and stated that "well-defined research endeavours and clinical trials" were needed for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Authors

The following working group members authored the report on behalf of the Royal College of Physicans, Royal College of Psychiatrists, and Royal College of General Practitioners:

• Sir Richard Bayliss, Consulting Physician, Westminister Hospital, London
• Professor Leszek Borysiewicz, Professor of Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff
• Professor Robert Boyd, Professor of Paediatrics, University of Manchester
• Professor Francis Creed, Professor of Community Psychiatry, University of Manchester
• Dr Anthony David, Reader in Neuropsychiatry, King's College School of Medicine, London
• Sir Anthony Dawson, Consulting Physician, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London
• Professor Richard H T Edwards, Professor of Medicine, University of Liverpool
• Professor Elena Garralda, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London
• Mr John James Chief Executive, Kensington, Chelsea and Westminister Health Commissioning Agency
• Dr Sean Lynch, Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, St James's University Hospital, Leeds
• Dr Anthony Pelosi, Consultant Psychiatrist, Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride
• Dr Tim Peto, Consultant Physician in Infectious Diseases, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford
• Dr Leone Ridsdale, Senior Lecturer in General Practice, Guy's & St Thomas's Medical and Dental School, London
• Dr Margaret Thompson, Consultant Child Psychiatrist, Southampton General Hospital
• Dr Simon Wessely, Reader in Psychological Medicine, King's College School of Medicine, London
• Dr Peter White, Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London

Citation

Royal Colleges of Physicians, Psychiatrists and General Practitioners (1996). Chronic fatigue syndrome. Report of a joint working group of the Royal Colleges of Physicians, Psychiatrists and General Practitioners. CR 54.

Conclusions

The joint Royal Colleges' report stated that chronic fatigue syndrome was an "the expression of the interplay of physical and psychological factors" and that a "joint medical and psychological approach" was needed. It also stated that chronic fatigue syndrome affected both young and old people, of any occupation and social class.

Notable studies

• 1996, (revised 2014), Comparison of the American Report for Physicians on CFS with the UK Joint Royal Colleges' Report on CFS (Full text)
• 1996, OBSERVATIONS ON THE JOINT REPORT OF THE UK ROYAL COLLEGES OF PHYSICIANS, PSYCHIATRISTS AND GENERAL PRACTITIONERS ON CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME, OCTOBER 1996 / CR 54 / RCP (Full text)
• 2003, THE MENTAL HEALTH MOVEMENT: PERSECUTION OF PATIENTS? A consideration of the role of Professor Simon Wessely and other members of the "Wessely School" in the perception of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) in the UK.Background Briefing for the House of Commons Select Health Committee. (Full text)

The tactics of denial section includes examples of the misrepresentation of the Joint Royal Colleges' report by members of the Wessely school

Learn more

• Joint Royal Colleges' report on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Full text)

See also

• Royal College of General Practitioners
• Royal College of Psychiatrists
• Royal College of Physicans
• York Review
• The Mental Health Movement: Persecution of Patients?
• Wessely school
• NHS
• NICE guidelines

See chronic fatigue syndrome.

creatine (CR) - A natural substance that turns into creatine phosphate in the body, which helps make ATP. ATP provides the energy for muscles Often taken as a supplement to improve sports performance. (Learn more: www.webmd.com)

myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) - A disease often marked by neurological symptoms, but fatigue is sometimes a symptom as well. Some diagnostic criteria distinguish it from chronic fatigue syndrome, while other diagnostic criteria consider it to be a synonym for chronic fatigue syndrome. A defining characteristic of ME is post-exertional malaise (PEM), or post-exertional neuroimmune exhaustion (PENE), which is a notable exacerbation of symptoms brought on by small exertions. PEM can last for days or weeks. Symptoms can include cognitive impairments, muscle pain (myalgia), trouble remaining upright (orthostatic intolerance), sleep abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal impairments, among others. An estimated 25% of those suffering from ME are housebound or bedbound. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies ME as a neurological disease.

See myalgic encephalomyelitis.