NHS Choices updates information on Fibromyalgia Syndrome

FibroAction is delighted to announce that, last month, NHS Choices updated their website information on Fibromyalgia Syndrome (Fibro).

This follows the updating of information about Fibro on both the NHS Direct and NHS Clinical Knowledge Summaries websites.

NHS Direct reviewed and updated its online information on Fibro in July, following input from FibroAction. FibroAction's website, including our entire About Fibro section, was referenced in the updated NHS Direct topic.

The updated information was then made available on the NHS Clinical Knowledge Summaries (CKS) website. The NHS CKS are a reliable source of evidence-based information and practical 'know how' about common conditions, aimed at healthcare professionals working in primary care, from GPs and Accident & Emergency staff to nurses and pharmacists. CKS is a central resource of the National Library of Health (NLH) which is part of the NHS Institute, and was formerly known as PRODIGY.

FibroAction continued to work with the editorial team at NHS Direct over the summer to improve the information provided, particularly as regards the medications information. Although the wording of the Medicine Guides section is still rather confusing, as it gives the impression that medications are licensed specifically for Fibro - rather than for symptoms people with Fibro might experience - detailed information is now provided on a large number of medications that could be recommended for Fibro.

The updating of the NHS Choices information on Fibro is another important step forward in raising awareness of Fibro, by making the information about Fibro, that is supplied to both patients and healthcare professionals, more accurate and up-to-date.

If, as so often happens, a GP tells a Fibro patient that there is nothing that can be done to help the condition, then those GPs can now be referred to the NHS's own websites for more up-to-date information.

NHS Choices is the main NHS online information source at www.nhs.uk. It draws together the knowledge and expertise of the National Library for Health, NHS Direct, the Information Centre for Health and Social Care, the Healthcare Commission and many other organisations.

To see the improved information, please seethe NHS Choices website.