Beth Dobbin urges Prime Minister to increase ME research funding

Olympic sprinter Beth Dobbin has written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham seeking more government funding for research into ME, BBC Sport reported. The 32-year-old, who represented Britain at the Tokyo Olympics, is using her experience of the illness to press for greater support for patients whose symptoms prevent them from working or caring for themselves.

Dobbin disclosed her diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis in a BBC Sport interview on Friday. According to the broadcaster, she now spends 22 hours a day in bed and has left her home only five times this year. She agreed to the interview to increase public understanding, despite the risk that taking part could cause a serious worsening of her health.

In her letter, Dobbin argued that ME had suffered from years of neglect and insufficient research funding compared with other illnesses. She also criticised what she described as a lack of NHS provision for people with severe ME, questioning why patients had to seek private care to access specialists. Those concerns formed part of her appeal for government action on both research and support.

The former sprinter linked her request to Burnham's stated ambition to reduce welfare spending. She said people with severe ME could be too unwell even to look after themselves, making employment impossible. In her view, investing in research was necessary to help patients regain their lives and address the barriers that keep them dependent on support, rather than treating their inability to work as a separate issue.

BBC Sport described ME as a fluctuating chronic illness that can involve persistent exhaustion, pain, sleep difficulties and problems with memory and thinking. Its effects vary widely, from people who can continue working or studying to those needing constant care. The report said Dobbin's decision to speak publicly carried particular risks because activity and sensory stimulation can trigger prolonged deteriorations in symptoms.

The funding background includes approximately £6.5 million of UK government investment in ME research between April 2019 and March 2024, according to BBC Sport. A further £4.75 million investment in a genomics study was announced earlier this year under Sir Keir Starmer. BBC Sport said it had approached Downing Street for comment on Dobbin's appeal; its report did not include a government response.