Firestormm
Senior Member
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23 June 2014 from mecfsforums:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/newryandmourne.me.fms/permalink/319177798242547/
Joan Mcparland
Dear Mrs McParland,
Thank you for your email and please accept my apologies, on behalf of our organisation, for the upset this has understandably caused.
We pride ourselves on the service we provide to those battling with CFS in our region and share the concerns such speculation will have had amongst patients.
I would like to reassure you and your group that the matter is being taken extremely seriously by the Essex CFS Service and a full internal review has begun.
In the meantime, The BMJ have been contacted and asked to remove the post and any association with our service to it.
Kind regards
Noreen
Noreen Buckley
Head of Rehabilitation/Essex CFS Service Manager
Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Prittlewell Chase I Westcliff-on-Sea I Essex I SS0 0RY
Tel: 01702 435555 ext 6696 I Email: noreen.buckley@southend.nhs.uk
Personal assistant/Secretary: Jill Butten ext 8646
Visit our website: www.southend.nhs.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: Joan McPARLAND
Sent: 20 June 2014 20:35
To: Buckley, Noreen
Cc: Martina Marks
Subject: BMJ ARTICLE
Dear Noreen Buckley
As a patient support group in Northern Ireland, we are dismayed and shocked to have read the recent BMJ article concerning M.E. patients. We have also taken into consideration your reply to Dr. Charles Shepherd, MEA.
You state the article does not reflect the opinions of the Essex CFS Service and was written by the authors as a purely hypothetical deliberation.
Although this is possibly an acceptable explanation we feel it will not undo the damage which has once again been fuelled by such an insensitively lead topic for discussion.
As a patient support group we see the unimaginable extent of the suffering, caused as a direct result of misinformation and disbelief, not only within the general population but also within the medical profession. We strongly feel this article has already done untold damage to medical professionals, Health Trust decision makers, benefit assessor's opinions and others who have read the content.
May we request a written public apology from the authors also for patients in Northern Ireland who are currently left without NHS Specialist services and who are fighting, with very limited energy resources, to get recognition, accurate diagnoses and the same respect awarded to other patients suffering from any chronic, physical diseases.
Surely clarification and information of the results of global bio-research would be a welcome addition to future BMJ articles and would offer hope to M.E. patients to counteract this latest damning onslaught? Patients have little else and this is evident and measurable by the high volume of desperate cries for help that we and other patient support groups in Northern Ireland are currently experiencing.
Regards
Mrs. Joan McParland
Voluntary co-ordinator
NEWRY & MOURNE ME/FIBROMYALGIA SUPPORT GROUP
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