Prof Malcolm Hooper, Margaret Williams, and the PACE Trial

From an email I received – and I am sure this will be a valuable resource for anyone interested in ME –
 
We are pleased to announce the launch of a website containing a catalogue of all the articles on ME written by Margaret Williams and Professor Malcolm Hooper:
http://www.margaretwilliams.me/
 
The articles in this catalogue have been available on the internet or elsewhere for many years but now for the first time have been brought together in one place. The intention is to provide a valuable historical resource for researchers, advocates, patients and anyone interested in the illness Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. These articles illustrate how the “Wessely School” have ignored the biomedical science on ME/CFS for almost 30 years.
 
Margaret Williams is the pen-name used by someone who spent her professional life in the British National Health Service (NHS), latterly in a senior clinical capacity for many years until severe ME put an end to her career. For professional and personal reasons she does not wish her own name to be in the public domain.
 
Malcolm Hooper is Professor Emeritus of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Sunderland in the UK, and is an advocate for ME/CFS patients. He chaired the International Invest in ME Conference in 2008, 2010, and 2011. He is also the Chief Scientific Adviser to the British Gulf War Veterans Association.
 
With contributions from Eileen Marshall (1994-2007) and others.
http://www.margaretwilliams.me/
 
 
Please see also by Valerie Eliot Smith –
 
Tribunal Orders Release Of PACE Trial Data (QMUL v the IC and Matthees)
https://valerieeliotsmith.com/2016/08/16/tribunal-orders-release-of-pace-trial-data-qmul-v-the-ic-and-matthees/
 
The First-Tier Tribunal judgment in this case (click on that link to read full judgment) has just been published. QMUL’s appeal has been roundly dismissed and therefore the Tribunal has decided that the requested data from the PACE trial should be released.
 
I have just skimmed the 48 pages of the judgment and so have only taken in a small amount so far. However, it appears that this is a defining moment for the international ME community and the PACE Trial. Alem Matthees (the original requestor of the data) has done an extraordinary job.
 
However, it is important to remember that, in theory,  QMUL could still seek leave to appeal against this judgment to the Upper Tribunal so it will be a bit longer before we can be absolutely certain that this judgment will stand.
 
I will write a longer post with a more detailed analysis in due course (health permitting).
 
 
Some further encouraging news –
 
AHRQ Evidence Review Changes Its Conclusions
 
In response to requests by U.S. patient organizations and advocates, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has issued an Addendum to its 2014 ME/CFS evidence review. This Addendum downgrades the conclusions on the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET), and this has tremendous implications for medical education and treatment recommendations.
 
 
The final paragraph reads –
 
There is no evidence that CBT and GET are effective treatments for us, and therefore, these treatments can no longer be recommended. If CDC and others persist in recommending treatments for which there is no evidence of effectiveness in ME/CFS patients, it will not only perpetuate confusion but also put patients at risk. Such an unscientific recommendation goes against the principles of evidence-based medicine and is not accepted in other diseases. It will not be tolerated here.
 
To read the full article, go to –
http://occupyme.net/2016/08/16/ahrq-evidence-review-changes-its-conclusions/

 

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