Olympian Dobbin writes to Prime Minister over ME funding

Former British sprinter Beth Dobbin has called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to fund more research into the "life-decimating" condition that has resulted in her spending 22 hours a day in bed.

On Friday, 32-year-old Dobbin - who raced at the Tokyo Olympics five years ago - revealed in an interview with BBC Sport she had been diagnosed with ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis).

ME is a chronic, fluctuating disease, causing symptoms such as sleep problems, problems with thinking and memory, pain and severe, persistent fatigue that does not improve with rest, and more.

It has no known cure or specific treatment. More than 400,000 people in the UK are thought to have ME, although the true figure could exceed one million, with severity ranging from people able to work or study to those requiring round-the-clock care and tube feeding.

In a letter to Burnham, Dobbin said: "ME has been neglected and psychologicalised for years.

"It has received so little government funding for research over the years compared to other illnesses. As a consequence, there are no approved treatments.

"There are also currently no provisions within the NHS for severe ME patients (25% of those with ME). What other illness this prevalent would leave patients with nowhere to go within the NHS, or no specialists other than to seek private care?"

ME patients often rely on off-label medication to manage a condition that can cause more than 200 symptoms, including nausea, headaches, poor cognitive function and brain fog.

A conversation, or even something so simple as a light too bright or a sound too loud, can cause a "crash" that lasts 24, 48 hours, or in the worst cases, months on end.

Dobbin, who has left the house on just five occasions this year, decided to do the interview with BBC Sport in a bid to raise awareness of the condition, despite knowing it could trigger a brutal deterioration in her health.

"Your government has said it wants to bring down the welfare bill," Dobbin continued in her letter to Burnham.

She added: "ME is so debilitating, severe patients are violently unwell, bedbound and can't even look after themselves, let alone work.

"To get the welfare bill down, I believe you need to fund research into this spiralling illness and help us all get our lives back."

Since becoming prime minister in July, Burnham has vowed to reduce the UK's welfare bill.

Spending on benefits has ballooned in recent years and is forecast to rise to £408.6bn in 2030-31, according to figures from the Department for Work and Pensions.

Between April 2019 and March 2024 the UK government invested around £6.5 million in research into ME.

Earlier this year, when Sir Keir Starmer was prime minister, it announced an investment of £4.75 million into a world-first genomics study into the condition.

BBC Sport has contacted Downing Street for comment.