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Wessely honoured with a knighthood for his work for GWS and ME

Countrygirl

Senior Member
Messages
5,429
Location
UK
I am nearly lost for words, but not surprised. Does this serve as the Establishment's condoning of the neglect and/or abuse of a large group of very sick people? What hope do we in the UK have of having our illness taken seriously in the next few years if this man is honoured for his treatment of us?


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20850694?forumid=331851




_64992984_simon.jpg
Prof Wessely has visited troops in Iraq and Afghanistan
A leading researcher into the mental health of military personnel has been knighted in the New Year's Honours.
Prof Simon Wessely, said he was "genuinely surprised and incredibly honoured" by the award.
He now heads the department of psychological medicine at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London.
He became interested in "medically unexplained symptoms and syndromes" early in his career, and studied chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) - or ME.
In 1991 he was involved in setting up one of the first NHS clinics for people with CFS symptoms and in the mid 1990s, he started to investigate Gulf War Syndrome.
This disputed condition had been linked to personnel who served in the first Gulf conflict in 1990-91.
_64993122_carolines.jpg
Caroline Shaw receives a CBE for her work at The Christie cancer hospital
Reported symptoms ranged from chronic fatigue, headaches and sleep disturbances to joint pains, irritable bowel, stomach and respiratory disorders and psychological problems.
Prof Wessely has said there may not be a distinct illness.
He said: "Gulf War Syndrome is a misnomer," he said. "Rather it's an illness or health effect.
"We established something happened, but we found no specific cause.
"The fascinating thing is that it didn't happen again in Iraq, and the reason for that remains enigmatic."
Prof Wessely continues to study the long-term effects on those now serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But he said that there had been improvements in the mental health care for armed forces personnel and those close to them.
"There is now improved psychological support, particularly for reservists and families."
'Huge honour'
He was among a large number of researchers, charity workers and NHS staff to receive honours.
Other health experts recognised included Stephen O'Brien, Chair of Barts and The London NHS Trust, who also receives a knighthood.
Respiratory health expert Prof John Britton and Caroline Shaw, chief executive of Manchester'sspecialist cancer hospital, The Christie are among those made CBEs.
One of those is Caroline Shaw, who is appointed a CBE for her work running The Christie cancer hospital in Manchester.
A former midwife, Ms Shaw was one of the youngest female NHS chief executives when she took over at the Christie in 2005.
She said: "I am incredibly proud... It is such a huge honour to be recognised in this way for my work in an industry I believe in and care passionately about.
 

pollycbr125

Senior Member
Messages
353
Location
yorkshire
ive just got this through on my email I thought it was someone winding me up o_O saying that they also knighted jimmy saville and look what happened there . As far as I know a knighthood can be taken from a living person but not a dead one hence the row over jimmy saville but had all the stuff about jimmy saville come out when he was still alive he would have been stripped of his knighthood . All I can say is lets hope some whistleblower comes forward asap .
 

pollycbr125

Senior Member
Messages
353
Location
yorkshire
I don't think theres any fear of me developing stockholm syndrome Roy though from some of the posts on here latley about wessely I think some others may be suffering already ;)
 

Roy S

former DC ME/CFS lobbyist
Messages
1,376
Location
Illinois, USA
I don't think theres any fear of me developing stockholm syndrome Roy though from some of the posts on here latley about wessely I think some others may be suffering already ;)

Sorry Polly, I thought the part I wrote about potential Stockholm Syndrome might not be appropriate here so I just removed my whole post and reposted. My commiserations to the UK again.
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
This is politics. Politics is not rational. If enough people in military healthcare said enough nice things about SW, then it follows he could receive a knighthood. What happens though if the definitively prove his theories are all wrong? Even then I do not think he will lose the knighthood. It would have to go further than just disproving him, it would have to prove wrongdoing which is not an easy thing to do.
 

biophile

Places I'd rather be.
Messages
8,977
I too thought there was a 50/50 chance that this thread was tongue in cheek when I saw it listed.

The BBC article is not entirely clear on why he is receiving the knighthood, it just briefly describes his career. It also states that "He was among a large number of researchers, charity workers and NHS staff to receive honours."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20850694

From what I have read about the early days, Wessely and supporters make is sound as if no one cared about or even acknowledged CFS in the UK until his team of heroes came along and gave hope to patients dwelling in the abyss. I do not think it is fair to blame Wessely for all our problems or assume his role was one of purposeful maliciousness, but I knowd some people are insulted at the awards he has received for his work on CFS.

I could not help but notice the photo of him in Iraq or Afghanistan wearing a bullet-proof vest (which is probably procedure for guests). Since he claims to have felt safer in these places than in the UK, does he wear a vest to work or his lectures? Afterall, is it not according to Wessely's speculation, safer to insult Islam than contradict ME militants?

_64992984_simon.jpg


At least Peter Higgs (of Higgs boson fame) was made Companion of Honour:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20855404
 
Messages
42
The BBC article is not entirely clear on why he is receiving the knighthood, it just briefly describes his career. It also states that "He was among a large number of researchers, charity workers and NHS staff to receive honours."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20850694

The official citation reads:

Professor Simon Wessely

Professor Simon Wessely has dramatically improved mental health services for the Armed Forces. His academic work led to a better understanding of Gulf War Illness and to more effective psychological support for the armed services. His work has spread beyond the UK to the US and Australia and he works closely with a number of charities in support of ex-servicemen and women.

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sit...s/NY2013-Higher-Awards-Longer-Citations_0.pdf
 

notinfinite

Guest
Messages
20
Location
UK
The knighthood is to be 'awarded' (rewarded) for his efforts to downplay, hide, coverup and bury GWS at the expense of GW1 troops. It would be interesting to discover who proposed him. The award is not for his efforts to downplay, hide and coverup ME - he is failing miserably at that.

Just goes to show how the establishment view the public opinion that surrounds Wessely - still, reading some of the comments about Wessely on this forum as of late, there will be a few here that will be happy for him - personally I am revolted by this man and resent him profiting at my expense - is there no end to the torture?

I suppose we will have to wait 30years to find out the identity of the creep that suggested he be honoured.

Crap crap crap crap crap.

Another reason for the Republic!
 
Messages
646
He's exactly the sort of person who should be given a knighthood. It's only a problem if people think it represents something other than what it does.
Absolutely. This is just the UK political system trying to drag itself into the 19thC. Though on the basis of n = 2, I guess this year's selection could have been decided on the basis of tonsurial weirdness: Sir Simon Wessely and Sir Bradley Wiggins !

IVI
 

Enid

Senior Member
Messages
3,309
Location
UK
19th century - gosh it's a hard road ahead in the UK. And our poor old Queen has to bestow.