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Gibson Inquiry into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
Added: (Sun Nov 26 2006)
The Gibson Inquiry
"This group believes that the MRC should be more open-minded in their evaluation of proposals for biomedical research into CFS/ME and that, in order to overcome the perception of bias in their decisions, they should assign at least an equivalent amount of funding (£11 million) to biomedical research as they have done to psychosocial research. It can no longer be left in a state of flux and these patients or potential patients should expect a resolution of the problems with only an intense research programme can help resolve. It is an illness whose time has certainly come. "
Thus concludes the report from Dr Gibson’s Group on Scientific Research in to
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) – otherwise known as the Gibson Inquiry.
Unfortunately, that time is too late for some of the victims who have lost their
lives to this devastating illness.
The charity Invest In ME welcomes the broad message of this parliamentary report and thanks Dr Gibson and his group for all their efforts. The Inquiry calls for this illness to be given due recognition, alongside heart disease and cancer. It also calls for ring-fenced money for bio-medical research as happened with AIDS. ME in fact affects five times as many people as does AIDS but can have a much more devastating impact on quality of life. The Inquiry recommends that research must be made a priority and suggests that £11 million should be made available for research to redress the balance in an illness where too much emphasis has been put on psychological “coping strategies“. The Inquiry accuses the MRC of merely
“paying lip-service“ to the call for bio-medical research.
Invest In ME feel it is a relief that at last a government body is acknowledging
that ME is a severe, incapacitating, illness and that those who suffer from it,
as well as their carers and families, may have their lives completely ruined. We have been asking for a long time for very simple, common-sense things such as the adoption of comprehensive diagnostic criteria and epidemiological studies.
We are delighted that this report agrees that this is vitally important.
This report does not stint in its criticism of the Medical Research Council and
NICE. Indeed, it warns that NICE should rethink very carefully one of its
recommended treatments, Graded Exercise Therapy (GET) because there is evidence that in 80% of M./E. sufferers there is diastolic cardiomyopathy.
Invest in ME has warned NICE only last week that by recommending GET they would put patients lives at risk, and risk Judicial Review. We can only hope that NICE will take notice.
Invest In ME also welcomed the call for an independent scientific committee to be established to oversee all aspects of research, as well as an inquiry into
the vested interests of insurance companies whose advisors also act as advisors to the DWP. Dr Gibson’s Group recommends an investigation of these vested interests by a standards committee because too often, it states, patients have to live with the double burden of fighting for both their health and their benefits.
Invest in ME now believe that we must move forward and ensure that people are correctly diagnosed with this illness and that doctors and scientists treat patients knowing and accepting that they have a genuine and serious illness.
Invest in ME now ask that the government and MRC take this opportunity and work with the ME community and biomedical researchers to ensure that this illness can be understood, that proper biomedical research is funded and that archaic and unjust perceptions by government departments, sections of the health service and those responsible for deciding funding strategy are once and for all discarded.
This is an opportunity to benefit patients and find a cure for this illness.
Invest in ME ask the government to ensure that this opportunity is not lost and that yet another generation of UK citizens is not abandoned.
More details of the Gibson Inquiry report can be found here [URL:
http://www.investinme.org/Article-009%20Gibson%20inquiry%20respice%20finem.htm ].