Doctors with M.E. Honorary Fellow, Dr. David Strain, published the following well-received article on 12th May 2022, as part of the British Medical Association’s recognition of World ME Awareness Day. It’s the first global awareness day for ME – myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome – and time to acknowledge medicine still has a lot…Continue readingKnown unknowns, and as yet medically unexplained diseases
Category: Opinion
Doctors are currently underprepared for care of patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS) and medical education in this area is deficient. ME/CFS is a complex, chronic multi-system condition which affects at least 250,000 people in the UK, and frequently develops following a viral infection.(1)(2) Importantly, a growing number of people living with chronic disease following Covid-19…Continue readingME/CFS: The urgent need for improved generalist medical education
The newly published 2021 NICE guideline on ME/CFS calls for a change in culture, from one of stigma and disbelief to one which listens to the patient. Doctors with M.E. starts by listening to one patient’s story. Dr. Hng collapses at work and still doesn’t know she is ill. She doesn’t call for help. She…Continue readingThe doctor who doesn’t believe she is ill
Doctors with M.E. stands ready to work with partners and organisations to bring medical education up-to-date and assist in developing the right services for ME/CFS patients. “The new guideline represents a positive and total paradigm change, uniting around the science, official disease classification and medico-legal compliance implications.” “This translation of scientific knowledge into clinical practice…Continue readingNICE 2021: A Triumph of Science over Discrimination
A call for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to explain undermining of scientific review Doctors with M.E. Associate, Neurodisability Paediatrician and representative on the JLA Priority Setting Partnership Steering Group, Dr. Ben Marsh, has publicly written to the President of The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). He requested an explanation for the College’s…Continue readingPublic Letter to RCPCH: DwME Associate and Neurodisability Paediatrician Dr. Ben Marsh calls for explanation
The current NICE debacle and extraordinary deviation from normal procedure and published protocol is further evidence of institutionalised discrimination by large sections of the UK medical establishment. That one professional and patient group should be treated in a manner at odds with clear and growing scientific knowledge would be unacceptable in any other disease. Yet…Continue readingThe NICE debacle – will NICE survive?
Doctors with M.E. Honorary Fellow Professor Ron Davis has issued a powerful statement condemning the failure of the UK National Institute of Clinical and Care Excellence to maintain its independence. He describes how it has instead accommodated vested interests, which perpetuate low standards and contra-scientific medical belief systems. “It is a travesty that NICE is…Continue readingDoctors with M.E. Honorary Fellow and founding father of the Human Genome Project comments on the NICE pause – “it is time for the UK to join the rest of the scientific community”
We are very disappointed to hear of the ‘pause’ in publication of the NICE ME/CFS Guideline, already delayed in April. Following the hard work of the Guideline Development Group, we received news of the further delay of guideline publication with both dismay and profound concern for practitioners, their organisations and patients. Continued delay or deviation…Continue readingRapid Response and Expert Comment: NICE Guideline Delay and Accommodation of Unlawfulness
Your questions regarding the new NICE Guideline announcement this week have been broken down and addressed by Doctors with M.E. Honorary Fellow, Professor Brian Hughes: 1. What’s going on? 2. How is the new guideline different to the old one? 3. Why is the new guideline being welcomed? 4. Why was the old guideline problematic?…Continue readingHonorary Fellow on the new NICE Guideline for ME/CFS: Ten Questions Answered
The following expert testimony was provided to the NICE ME/CFS Guidelines Committee by Professor Jonathan Edwards. It regards the difficulties of conducting trials in ME/CFS and the implications of not accounting for these. The difficulties of conducting intervention trials for the treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome Summary testimony Therapeutic trials for ME/CFS…Continue readingRevisiting NICE Expert Testimony on trials in ME/CFS: Professor Jonathan Edwards