When we live with a debilitating chronic illness like ME/CFS, we may be unable to work to generate income for ourselves and our families. Depending on our family situation, other income and assets, there may be some income support available from Work and Income, a department of the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). We have summarised key information here on this page. When we live with or care for someone with a debilitating chronic illness like ME/CFS, we may be unable to work to generate income for ourselves and our families. Depending on our family situation, other income and assets, there may be some income support a vailable from Work and Income, a department of the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). We know it can be difficult working through the information and the application steps, so we have summarised key information here on this page. We also have a recorded presentation that you can watch. The advocates in our Work and Income Service are also available to provide confidential support to help you to access any assistance that you are eligible for from Work and Income. This service is normally delivered through email, but it depends what suits you best - texts, phone calls, zoom calls or home visits are also an option. The support may include: Helping to determine your eligibility for the different financial benefits and allowances. Assisting in filling out paperwork and applications. With your permission, acting on your behalf as your agent. Working with your GP to ensure any required medical certificates reflect the severity and impacts of your illness. Supporting you through issues with Work and Income. Advocating on your behalf with Work and Income. To refer yourself to the Work and Income Service, sign up as a member and email us to tell us what help would be beneficial, and one of our team will be in touch. Take your time reviewing the information below. 'CHECK WHAT YOU MIGHT GET' TOOL We encourage people to use the ‘Check what you might get’ tool from MSD to find out what you might be eligible for. This takes around five minutes to complete. The tool provides information about all the types of financial assistance you may qualify for and why, as well as what assistance you are unlikely to qualify for and why. COMMUNITY SERVICES CARD The Community Services Card can help you with the costs of health care and public transport. This means you could pay less on some health services, prescriptions and fares for public transport. You don’t have to be on a benefit to qualify for the card, but it is income tested. Work and Income will normally send the card to you if you are eligible. If they have not, you can apply for it online. Benefits and Allowances Up Work and Income have a range of benefits and allowances which have their own eligibility criteria and you will need to submit various supporting information with your application. We have a single page handout that overviews the key benefits and allowances available, and whether they are income or asset tested. Some of the benefits that may be available to you include: Supported Living Payment (SLP) MORE INFORMATION Support Living Payment (SLP) is a weekly payment for people who are severely restricted in their ability to work due to a health condition. This requires a medical certificate from your GP to confirm you cannot work more than 15 hours per week for the next 2 years. We have a guidance sheet for GPs on the criteria and medical certification requirements for the Supported Living Payment. Email the link to your GP, print out the handout, or ask us to post you a printed copy. Jobseeker Support and Medical Deferral MORE INFORMATION Jobseeker Support  is a temporary benefit available when a health condition is affecting your ability to work fulltime. With the support of a health practitioner such as your GP, you may be granted a Medical Deferral while receiving this payment. This deferral allows you to receive Jobseeker Support without the obligation to look for work when this would not be practical due to your health. Disability Allowance MORE INFORMATION Disability Allowance  can cover regular ongoing costs that are a direct result of a medical or health need up to $82 per week. It is income tested. This allowance is also available for the Non-Beneficiary if all eligibility criteria are met. Here are some of the costs that may be covered by the Disability Allowance with support from your GP: Doctor's fees. Prescription fees. Travel to your doctor, specialist, hospital or counsellor. Counsellor. Heating. Medical alarm rental and monitoring. Hearing aid batteries. Lawn mowing. Gardening. Special clothing requirements e.g. compression stockings. Exterior window cleaning. Special foods e.g. gluten free foods. Other treatments, such as: Chiropractor Podiatry Physiotherapy/Gym fees/Pool entry. Herbal supplements (e.g.pro-biotics). Unfunded prescription medications. For a full list of costs covered by the Disability Allowance, see Types of costs - Map . If you want to access counselling but are already receiving the maximum Disability Allowance, the counselling fees may be able to be covered by Temporary Additional Support (see further below). We have a guidance sheet for GPs on the criteria, medical certification requirements, and example eligible costs for the Disability Allowance. Email the link to your GP, print out the handout, or ask us to post you a printed copy. Accommodation Supplement MORE INFORMATION Accommodation Supplement  provides weekly assistance towards your rent, board, mortgage payments, rates payments, or home insurance. It is income and asset tested. This is available even if you are not receiving another benefit if all eligibility criteria are met. Temporary Additional Support (TAS) MORE INFORMATION Temporary Additional Support (TAS) is a weekly payment to help with essential daily living costs when you don’t have enough money for these. It can be paid for up to 13 weeks and would need to be re-applied for after that. This is available even if you are not receiving another benefit, if you meet the income and asset tests, and the other criteria. Special Needs Grant MORE INFORMATION Special Needs Grant may cover one-off essential costs when you don’t have the funds. You do not need to pay this back. It is asset and income tested, and can be used for costs such as food, some dental treatment, health travel costs, medical equipment. Recoverable Assistance Grant MORE INFORMATION Recoverable Assistance Grant may cover essential costs not covered by the Special Needs Grant. This is generally paid direct to the supplier on your behalf. Repayments are automatically deducted from your weekly payments, at a rate agreed on with the case manager processing the payment. Costs that may be covered include clothing, car repairs, glasses, hearing aids. Supported Living Payment for Carers MORE INFORMATION Supported Living Payment for Carers is a weekly payment if you are caring fulltime for a person would otherwise need to receive hospital or residential-level care. Child Care Subsidy MORE INFORMATION Child Care Subsidy assists towards pre-school childcare costs and may be useful to consider accessing if you care for children while living with chronic illness, to ensure that you have opportunities to rest. Up Applying for Support Use the MyMSD website to submit your applications to Work and Income and to give notice of any changes. Ensure you have your MSD Client Number. This will be on your Community Services Card, Super Gold Card, or letters from MSD. If you don’t have a client number yet, use the online form to Request a client number . To register for a MyMSD account, go to www.my.msd.govt.nz/register To apply for financial assistance from Work and Income, visit the MyMSD website and click the Apply button. Remember that you can start an online application and then save it. Just come back within 20 days to complete. Once you have submitted your application, Work and Income will ask you to submit information such as evidence of costs, medical certificates, and proof of bank account and IRD number. You will normally have 20 working days to provide this. If you disagree with a decision, you will have 90 days to request a review. Please get in touch with our team to assist you with the review of the decision. Emailing Work and Income Up People with ME/CFS often have difficulty communicating on the phone and Work and Income offers communication by email for this situation, under their Deaf Services. When communicating by email, compose the email as follows: Set the To address to MSD_Deaf_Services@msd.govt.nz In the Subject bar type your Full Name and Client Number . Include the following information in your email: At the start, include your full name, client number, date of birth and current address, as identification. State that email contact is preferred due to Chronic Illness, limitations and difficulty talking on a phone. e.g. “I have the chronic illness ME/CFS and this impacts my cognitive abilities. I find talking and responding to questions on the phone very difficult. My preferred method of communication is by email. ” State what you want to know or what you need to contact Work and Income about. Appoint an Agent Up You can choose to have someone else act on your behalf in some or all of your dealings with Work and Income. This person is called an agent , and they volunteer their time. Agent for a single event: You can verbally ask to have a support person who is with you (on a phone call or at a meeting), to act on your behalf. This verbal agreement will last just for that meeting. When you want someone to act on your behalf for longer: Select the agent with care. It could be a friend or family member, MECFS Canterbury, or a benefit advisory service. You can still talk to MSD and act for yourself when you are able to. Indicate on the ‘Appointment of Agent’ form the scope of tasks that the agent can help with. This can range from making enquiries on your behalf, signing forms, right through to all interactions. (Note: We have a simplified form if you wish to appoint us as an agent.) Up More Information Benefit info from Work and Income www.workandincome.govt.nz/eligibility/health-and-disability/index.html www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/ MSD Policies www.workandincome.govt.nz/map MECFS Canterbury Contact our Work and Income Advocacy team . Benefit Advisory Services if you live in Christchurch or the Waimakariri district, the team at Beneficiary Advisory Services offer free advice and advocacy If you live outside our region, contact your local ME/CFS support organisation, or search www.cab.org.nz to find your local benefit advisory service. Rare Disorders NZ Work and Income information www.raredisorders.org.nz/patient-support/financial-assistance/financial-support-available-from-work-and-income

Work and Income Advocacy When we live with or care for someone with a debilitating chronic illness like ME/CFS, we may be unable to work to generate income for ourselves and our families. Depending on our family situation, other income and assets, there may be some income support available from Work and Income, a department of the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). We know it can be difficult working through the information and the application steps. To see a summary of relevant payments and how to access it on the Work and Income Assistance page in our Living with ME/CFS section of this website. You can also be connected to the advocates in our Work and Income Advocacy Service . They provide confidential support to people affected by ME/CFS and will help you to access any assistance that you are eligible for from Work and Income. This service is normally delivered through email, but it depends what suits you best - text, phone call, zoom call or home visits are also an option. The support may include: Helping to determine your eligibility for the different financial benefits and allowances. Assisting in filling out paperwork and applications. With your permission, acting on your behalf as your agent. Working with your GP to ensure any required medical certificates reflect the severity and impacts of your illness. Supporting you through issues with Work and Income. Advocating on your behalf with Work and Income. To access our Work and Income Advocacy Service: Please be aware that our services are only available to people in our region affected by ME/CFS or Long Covid, or those who are currently exploring this diagnosis. If that is not you, please contact Beneficiary Advisory Services (800 000 043 or office@bas.org.nz ) if you live in Christchurch or the Waimakariri District, or find your local service on the Community Law website. To refer yourself to our Work and Income Advocacy Service for people affected by ME/CFS, sign up as a member and note on the form what help would be beneficial, and one of our team will be in touch. FILL OUT OUR MEMBERSHIP FORM CONTACT US If you are already a member, send us an email about the help you are needing.

Subscribe to our Newsletter Sign up to become a member to receive our bi-monthly newsletter. The newsletter includes information about managing and living with ME/CFS, latest research, our activities, plus more. BECOME A MEMBER VIEW OUR NEWSLETTERS Latest News We plan to share key updates about ME/CFS, Long COVID, and our organisation here. If you remember seeing a notice about new guidance or initiative in our newsletter or social media and want to revisit the details, it will be worth checking the updates listed below. 25 Aug 2026 Our August 2026 newsletter is now available! Theme for this issue is responses in our annual survey. We also highlight some new guides for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Dysautonomia Read More 8 Jul 2026 ‘I feel trapped’: 29-year-old Wellington woman hasn’t left upstairs bedroom for four months Paddy Gower Does Stuff: Woman hasn’t left upstairs bedroom for months Read More 29 Jun 2026 Our June 2026 newsletter is now available! Theme for this issue is Manual Vagus Nerve Stimulation. Read More 24 Jun 2026 2026 Annual Survey – Open Now Your feedback shapes what we do... Read More 22 Jun 2026 Find Support After an ME/CFS or Long Covid Diagnosis in Canterbury and the West Coast Being told you have Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS) or Long Covid can feel overwhelming and isolating. Read More 12 Jun 2026 Announcing Winners of the 2026 Crash Wear Merch Design Competition We are excited to announce the three winners of our 2026 Crash Wear Merch Design Competition. Read More Load More

Announcing updated guidance for clinicians in Canterbury and West Coast from Health NZ. We encourage health professionals who have access to HealthPathways to become familiar with the extended guidance for diagnosis, treatment and management of this debilitating condition. < Back New clinical guidance for ME/CFS on HealthPathways 12 May 2025 Announcing updated guidance for clinicians in Canterbury and West Coast from Health NZ. We encourage health professionals who have access to HealthPathways to become familiar with the extended guidance for diagnosis, treatment and management of this debilitating condition. 'HealthPathways' is an online system from Health NZ that GPs log into to view best-practice clinical advice for assessing and managing a wide range of health conditions and concerns. There is often standardised national content for a topic, with each region then providing local information to reflect local supports and services on the regions own view of the HealthPathways. We are excited to announce that the HealthPathways team published updated guidance for #MECFS (#MyalgicEncephalomyelitis / #ChronicFatigueSyndrome ) on the Canterbury Community HealthPathways website on 12th March 2025. This information is also available to GPs on the West Coast of NZ. The pathway includes current evidence-based best-practice clinical advice for health professionals. The update includes: • More information on criteria to help with diagnosis. • More information about assessing and supporting patients with severe ME/CFS. • Extended management guidance for specific symptoms. We encourage health professionals who have access to HealthPathways to become familiar with the extended guidance for diagnosis, treatment and management of this debilitating condition. Link: https://canterbury.communityhealthpathways.org/44978.htm Please reach out to MECFS Canterbury to access the latest research summaries and other guidance, or to assist you in other ways. ____________________________ We have prepared a letter about this new information for you to take to your GP, next time you visit. We want GPs to know about the new HealthPathway so that they can support you better. ___________________________ FURTHER READING: To find out more, we recommend: ✦ For patients: www.healthinfo.org.nz/Chronic-fatigue-syndrome-CFS.htm ✦ Guidance from us: https://www.mecfscanterbury.nz/living-with-me-cfs ✦ CDC (USA): https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/symptoms-diagnosis/symptoms.html ✦ NICE (UK): https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng206 ✦ Mayo Clinic (USA): https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/s0025-6196(23)00402-0/fulltext ___________________________ DISCLAIMER: Please note that MECFS Canterbury does not recommend any treatments. Any advice, either explicit or implied, is not intended to replace qualified medical advice. We do not accept any responsibility for any treatment undertaken by readers of any articles or other content, or for any error or omission in connection with any content published on our social media. MECFS Canterbury is not responsible for the accuracy of content that we link to. The inclusion of such links does not imply endorsement by MECFS Canterbury. Previous Next

Getting Diagnosed At this stage, there are no specific diagnostic tests available that can be done in a clinical setting to confirm ME/CFS. However, healthcare professionals can make a diagnosis by using the diagnostic criteria, excluding other possible conditions, and ensuring that post-exertional malaise (PEM) is present. VIEW THE DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA Your doctor is likely to refer to the clinical advice for ME/CFS on the Health Pathways website provided by Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand and may: Ask about you and your family’s health history. Ask about anything you have tried that makes the symptoms better or worse. Suggest that you keep a diary of symptoms and activity. Carry out an examination to identify alternative underlying disorders. They may look for any weight changes, difficulty with self-care, and issues with heart rate and blood pressure when moving to an upright position, and also, check for lymphadenopathy, thyroid disease, cardiac or pulmonary disease, joint or connective tissue disease, and neurological issues such as myopathy and multiple sclerosis. Request baseline blood tests for CBC, CRP, ferritin, electrolytes, renal and liver function, calcium, magnesium, blood glucose/HbA1c, B12, vitamin D, thyroid function, coeliac antibodies. If your illness is post-viral, they may also test for Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, and HIV. Depending on your symptoms, they may also test for immunoglobulins, antinuclear antibodies, rheumatoid titres, creatine kinase, and cortisol. Request an ECG and chest x-ray if you experience palpitations, chest pain or shortness of breath. Consider long COVID if your symptoms appear to have been triggered by COVID-19 infection. We have a lett e r that you can take to your GP to let them know about the new clinical guidelines for ME/CFS on the Health Pathways website. DOWNLOAD A LETTER FOR GPS Our Registered Nurse Service is available to support you when you are wondering if you have ME/CFS and are seeking a diagnosis. Our nurses work through the assessment process against the diagnostic criteria with you, and then, with your permission, can share the result with your GP. How we help For a comprehensive list of clinical primers and other resources for health professionals refer to: Link https://m.e.awareness.nz/resources-health-professionals/ PREVIOUS PAGE NEXT PAGE

Newsletters Our newsletter has been published for over 40 years! Currently, there are six issues each year in February, April, June, August, October and December. The newsletter contains updates on the activities of the organisation, information about managing and living with ME/CFS, latest research, plus more. We welcome contributions. Members can elect to receive the newsletter by post and / or by email. VIEW PAST ISSUES SEND US A CONTRIBUTION

Fundraise Do you have a birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion coming up? Or want to set yourself a physical challenge and participate in a running, cycling, swimming or triathlon event? Why not ask your whānau and networks to donate to MECFS Canterbury or sponsor your participation and raise some awareness at the same time? Want to host a fundraiser? Talk to us about setting up a fundraising page that links to MECFS Canterbury on sites such as Givealittle. First Name Last Name Email Message Thanks for your interest! Send Tshirts for fundraising events: If you are looking for tshirts that raise awareness of ME/CFS while you are doing your fundraising, we suggest you take a look at the range from M.E. Awareness NZ. SEE ALL M.E. AWARENESS NZ T SHIRTS

Library Our library of books and limited equipment is available to members free of charge. The books in our library have been selected or donated by past and current members and supporters of MECFS Canterbury. Please note that it is not our role to endorse all books or all content of each book. CLICK TO VIEW ONLINE CATALOGUE The library includes books on evidence-based management of ME/CFS and other approaches, books about coping with long term chronic illness, and fiction related to ME/CFS as well. You can visit the library in person, but most people request that we post items out to them. We can provide you with a post paid courier bag for returning the books, and when you are ready to return the items, we can arrange for NZ Post to pick up from your home. Our Recommendations For those new to ME/CFS we recommend books by Dr Rosamund Vallings, Dr Charles Shepherd, and Dr David Bell. In particular: 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome M.E. - Symptoms Diagnosis Management' by Dr Rosamund Vallings CLICK TO VIEW IN CATALOGUE For in-depth clinical guidance, we recommend: 'ME/CFS/PVFS An explanation of the Key Clinical Issues' by Dr Charles Shephard and updated regularly by the ME Association UK CLICK TO VIEW IN CATALOGUE Please seek medical advice: Any suggestions or advice given in any of the books in our library, should not replace medical advice, and we do not accept any responsibility for any treatment undertaken. Please discuss with your GP or health care team any changes to your treatment regime before implementing them, including the severity of your illness and any other health issues. We are all different, and unfortunately, what works for one person may not work for another. It is best to be careful. Can't find the book you want to read? Let us know if you would like us to get a book in, and we will do our best to purchase it for the library. First Name Last Name Email Message Thanks for your query! Send

Our Organisation MECFS Canterbury was originally established in 1985 as a society under the Incorporated Societies Act 1908. The society's goals were to support and assist people with ME/CFS in the management of this debilitating illness and with the aim of improving their quality of life. In 2024, our organisation moved to a Charitable Trust model. The society, M.E. /CFS Group (Canterbury) Inc, was wound up and all services, staff and assets were transferred to ME/CFS Canterbury / West Coast Charitable Trust. We continue to be registered as a charity under number CC32072. We currently trade under the names MECFS Canterbury and ME/CFS Canterbury / West Coast. We have grown over the years to become a professional community health and clinical service organisation, providing a range of services and supports for our community. Visit the How we help page to find out more. We serve people in the Canterbury - Waitaha and West Coast - Te Tai Poutini regions in the South Island - Te Waipounamu of Aotearoa New Zealand. These regions include thirteen District Councils. We also support students at the Southern Regional Health School, who may live in any region of the South Island. Our Strategic Plan For 2023-2028 Determine the cooperation opportunities and geographic range of our organisation Enhance the strength of our governance and organisational framework Reach, support and retain more clients and members Support our supporters: health professionals, funders, volunteers, and others Presentations to our AGMs Our Annual General Meetings are held in November of each year. These meetings provide us with an opportunity to share an overview of our service delivery and finances for the year, and to look towards the year ahead. We invite you to watch the videos of our presentation slides from past AGMs. Annual Performance Statements Our audited Financial and Service Statements provide a detailed view of our finances, outputs and activities. If this is your thing, here they are. 2023 STATEMENTS - Not yet audited 2022 STATEMENTS 2021 STATEMENTS

Complaint Process We are committed to providing appropriate and considerate support and advocacy for people affected by ME/CFS and to providing a positive working environment for our staff. We encourage anyone to get in touch with us to let us know if anything has not gone well so that we can put things right and improve for the future. We welcome this feedback in the form of a formal complaint, or as informal comments. Our definition of a complaint: An expression of dissatisfaction from an individual or a group with the standard of support, service, actions, policy, or position of MECFS Canterbury, or our employees or volunteers. How to complain: In the first instance, please contact the person that the complaint relates to. If the matter cannot be resolved, or if you would prefer, please prepare a written description of your complaint, and send to the Manager, or if the complaint relates to the Manager, send to the Chairperson. You will find our email and postal addresses on the Contact Section of our website. What to include in your complaint: What went wrong When and where it happened Who was involved What you want from your complaint Your name, address, and contact details (telephone and/or email). Unless you wish to remain anonymous and accept that this will result in limitations on our investigation and response. You have the right to expect that: Complaints will be treated with appropriate confidentiality. Information will only be shared with people necessary to complete the investigation into the complaint and to determine our response. You will always be treated with respect. At any point, all parties have the right to have their whānau support and/or supervisors and/or advocate present in any meetings related to the complaint. What happens when you complain? The person you have raised the complaint with will discuss the complaint with you within two working days of them receiving the complaint. Please be aware that the majority of our team work part time, so there may be a delay in your complaint being received. All complaints are reported to the Manager within 24 hours of receipt. For matters involving the Manager, the complaint will be reported to the Chairperson. A formal investigation and response process will be initiated if you or the person contacted require it: We may be in touch again to ascertain further information or facts and are likely to contact any other people involved. We will tell you when we plan to come back to you with a response. An independent mediator will be engaged if needed. We will provide a full and formal response in person and/or by letter if this is appropriate or requested. Our response will detail findings of our investigation and state what actions and changes have been put in place. If the matter is significant, the complaint and response will be tabled at the next Committee meeting in a confidential manner. What happens if I am not satisfied? If we are unable to resolve your complaint, you may take your complaint to the Health and Disability Commissioner or Charities Services .

Contact Form: First Name Last Name Email Phone Topics Tell us what you need help with SEND Thanks for query. We’ll get back to you shortly. Our Contact Details: For any enquiries, please contact us via the form above, or by email, text, or phone. Email: info@mecfscanterbury.nz Text: 020 4027 0176 Phone: 03 365 5887 Postal address: PO Box 10090, Phillipstown, Christchurch 8145 Our Office: Please ring to make a time to visit. The office is not always open as we are a part-time team, and often have appointments outside the office. Our office is located at: 71 Orbell St, Sydenham, Christchurch 8023 There is onsite carparking. Use park #7 or #8, or one of the visitor carparks. Christchurch Venue: Our monthly Christchurch in-person meetings are held at the lovely Mary Potter Community Centre. Address: 442 Durham St North, St Albans, Christchurch 8014 This venue is just north of Bealey Avenue and has 30 onsite carparks. It also has comfortable lounge chairs and padded seats, and a beautiful garden. To get familiar with the centre before you arrive, you may like to watch the centre’s walkthrough video. Rangiora Venue: Our Rangiora in-person meetings are currently held at The Skurr Centre. Address: 156 Ashley Street, Rangiora Showgrounds, Rangiora This venue has onsite carparks. Our Meeting Venues: Timaru Venue: Our Timaru in-person meetings are held at the Timaru Library, Community Room. Address: 56 Sophia St, Timaru. Hokitika Venue: Our Hokitka in-person meetings are held at WestREAP. Address: 72 Tudor Street, Hokitika. Other Venues: We use other venues from time to time. Please check the event listing to confirm venue location. Join us: To receive support and /or information about ME/CFS from us on a regular basis, please sign up as a member (it is free). Please complete our membership form, either: Join online or Print PDF and post

Registered Nurse Service Our Registered Nurses provide a range of clinical supports for our members and their whanau. A Nurse can also talk to your health team, education provider and workplace, to improve understanding and to discuss care and accommodations. The Registered Nurse Service is free and is delivered through home visits, zoom consultations, and other interactions to people of all ages. An initial assessment involves discussing your previous medical history, your current situation and what ongoing supports you may need. Areas of support may include: Clinical support for symptom management and obtaining a diagnosis. Short term loan of a wearable activity tracker, to help monitor the impact of your activity on your symptoms, and to assist you to pace within your energy envelope. Advocacy with GP’s, Physicians, allied health, employers, education providers, whānau and others. Management plans for students attending the Southern Regional Health School. (SRHS is a state school for children in Years 1 to 13 who are unwell.) Referrals to allied health and other external supportive services (including CDHB Occupational Therapy, CDHB LTS-CHC (Long Term Support – Chronic Health Conditions), Pegasus Health PCW (Partnership Community Workers), Comcare – Peer Support, Total Mobility Card) Applications for the Hāpai Access Card which give people with disabilities better access and support from retailers and public areas. Due to funding constraints, our Registered Nurse Service is only available to people who have or suspect they have ME/CFS or Long Covid in the Canterbury and West Coast regions. The exception to this is for young people from throughout the South Island who attend the Southern Regional Health School. Please note that there is currently a waiting list for our Registered Nurse Service and you may need to wait for several months before receiving first contact from a nurse. We apologise for this and assure you that we are working hard to increase the funding for our services. To access this service: To refer yourself to the Registered Nurse Service, sign up as a member and note on the form what help would be beneficial, and one of our team will be in touch. Existing members can email us to request a referral to the Registered Nurse Service. FILL OUT OUR MEMBERSHIP FORM OR ASK YOUR GP TO FILL OUT THE REFERRAL FORM Our Registered Nurse team is also available to provide general information about ME/CFS to medical professionals and community-based service providers.