Keith Geraghty, from the University of Manchester, says the apparent improvements in some patients could be better explained by initial misdiagnosis

A patient revolt in collaboration with MPs and academics has led to a major review of NHS guidelines on the treatment of ME.

The reassessment of recommendations for the condition will consider the validity of a £5 million taxpayer-funded trial that claimed sufferers could be helped by simple lifestyle intervention.

About 200,000 people in the UK suffer from myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also sometimes known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Its symptoms include debilitating tiredness, joint pain and concentration problems, and its causes are poorly understood.

In 2011 a UK study published in The Lancet found that patients could experience significant improvements through exercise and cognitive behavioural therapy. Its findings have since formed the basis of treatment in the UK and abroad.

However, patient groups claimed