Chronic fatigue syndrome/ME is a debilitating condition affecting some 1 per cent of the UK population (“ME: bitterest row yet in a long saga”, 25 November). This serious illness needs improved treatments and care, and research is central to making this happen. So it is with sadness that we read in The Independent on Sunday reports of allegations made against Simon Wessely, one of the few UK clinicians with a specialist interest in treating CFS/ME and someone who has done pioneering research in the field. Such harassment risks undermining research, preventing the development of new treatments and discouraging specialist clinicians from entering the field. We fear that this may have resulted in patients not receiving the best treatments or care – staying ill for longer and not being able to live life to the full.
Dr Esther Crawley
University of Bristol
Professor Michael Sharpe, University of Oxford
Professor Peter White, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Esther Crawley, Reader in Child Health, University of Bristol
Professor Stephen Holgate CBE, MRC Clinical Professor of Immunopharmacology, University of Southampton
Professor Rona Moss-Morris, Head of Health Psychology, King's College London
Dr Charlotte Feinmann, Reader, UCL
Professor Hugo Critchley, Chair in Psychiatry, Brighton and Sussex Medical School
Dr Brian Angus, Reader in Infectious Diseases, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford
Dr Steven Reid, Clinical Director for Psychological Medicine, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Professor Patrick Doherty, Professor of Rehabilitation, York St John University
Professor Paul Little, Professor of Primary Care Research, University of Southampton
Dr Maurice Murphy, HIV Consultant, Barts Health NHS Trust
Professor Tim Peto, Consultant in Infectious Diseases and General Medicine, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford
Professor Sir Mansel Aylward, Chair, Public Health Wales, Cardiff University
Dr Alastair Miller, Consultant Physician, Royal Liverpool University Hospital
Professor Diane Cox, Professor of Occupational Therapy, University of Cumbria
Professor Jonathan Sterne, Professor of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, University of Bristol
Dr Margaret May, Reader in Medical Statistics, University of Bristol
Professor George Davey-Smith, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, University of Bristol
Dr Jade Thai, Senior Research Fellow, University of Bristol
Dr Gabrielle Murphy, Clinical Lead Physician, Fatigue Service, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Hazel O'Dowd, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and CFS/ME Team Leader, Frenchay Hospital Bristol
Dr Brian Marien, Director, Positive Health
Professor Willie Hamilton, Professor of Primary Care Diagnostics, University of Exeter
Dr Selwyn Richards, Consultant Rheumatologist, Poole Hospital NHS Trust
Professor Alison Wearden, Professor of Health Psychology, University of Manchester
Professor Trudie Chalder, Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London.
So here it is, folks, in black and white. A veritable guide to all the major players who have created and guided policy on the research & management of M.E. for the past 10-20 years, the very policy and mindset that has resulted in maintaining the status quo & ensuring that bedbound M.E. patients have stayed exactly where they are. With the notable exception of Prof Holgate, here are the players that have resisted progress, innovation and reality and held fast to the ideals of the 20th century, though given the context of this letter, I am most disappointed to see Prof Holgate’s name on this list.
There are a number of names missing from that list. Some are not even telling patients openly what they are doing.
Indeed, Jackie.
And so insulting to those biomedical researchers who are working away in the background quietly and sincerely without fanfare. The ones who only speak when they have something useful to say.
Jackie and nmj – I totally agree with what you say.
This letter just shows who has stopped the testing and treatment of an infectious disease that they deny exists. Personally I think psychiatrists should be certified-they diagnose patients without any kind of tests-its just a theory to them.
I do hope that the ME Asso does not support Simon Wessely!
Jacqui Butterworth
Could the ME Assoc. write a letter in response? – detailing a list of the researchers with the titles of their bio-medical research (e.g Julia Newton) that is going on across the UK (& beyond ?); thereby agreeing more biomedical research is needed. In conjunction with MERE ?
– asking the signatories to provide titles of their current research.
– the letter talks of in the past “may have resulted in patients not receiving the best treatments & care..” and the response letter to point out that this bio medical research is needed so patients do receive ‘best’ treatment & care in future.
– obviously not condoning any ‘harrassment’.
As a parent of young person with ME I’m interested as to what are the “best treatments and care” referred to in the letter from Dr Crawley et al. ?
I recall that 2 of the signatories oversaw/managed the PACE trial in the Oxford region.
I wonder if this letter, the earlier article by Simon Wessely, his recent award for services to medical field, are gathering support pre-runners towards the NICE guildelines review next year and a coninuation of the PACE trial recommendations.
I wonder how many of the signatories of this letter even know about, let alone have bothered to read the International Consensus Primer for Practitioners:
https://meassociation.org.uk/?p=11732
http://www.iacfsme.org/Home/Primer/tabid/509/Default.aspx