The 25% ME Group has announced, today, that US Dr Byon Hyde, MD, is taking up the role of new Patron and Medical Advisor to this organisation for the severely affected. The Countess of Mar had been a long time Patron to the 25% ME Group but was asked to stand down early this year following the NICE Guideline debacle.
WordPress Shortlink: http://wp.me/p5foE-2kj
25% ME Group http://www.25megroup.org
PERMISSION TO REPOST
The 25% ME Group is pleased to report the appointment of their new Patron and Medical Advisor.
We are absolutely delighted to announce that Dr Byron Hyde will be taking up the role with immediate effect.
Dr Byron Hyde is leading physician and researcher specialising in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and has worked exclusively with ME patients since 1985.
He is the founder and chairman of the Nightingale Research Foundation which is dedicated to explore, understand and treat patients disabled with ME and is at the forefront of the struggle to draw a clear distinction between ME and the current definitions of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. In 1992 he published the medical reference book still used by researchers internationally “The Clinical and Scientific Basis of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome”.
Dr Byron Hyde is an outspoken critic of the role psychiatry has played in ME. His entreaty that “Psychiatrists should not ever be placed in charge of diagnosis and treatment of M.E. patients” is one we fully support.
Dr Byron Hyde has been instrumental in bringing about recognition of ME as a serious illness and we feel he fully represents the interests and aims of the 25% ME Group. We are proud to have him as our Patron.
We also take great pleasure in announcing our new additional Medical Advisor, Dr Nigel Speight, who, as you will read below, recently departed from AYME. We are extremely pleased to have Dr Speight on board as he is a highly respected medical professional within the ME field and a great advocate for the biomedical view of ME.
Below we have posted resignation letter from Dr Nigel Speight to AYME (Young Childrens’ ME Charity) for your information.
Dear all
I just thought I should inform you officially that after a long and happy association with AYME I have decided to resign as their Patron. Without going into too much detail I would say that over the last couple of years I have become aware that they have changed their position on several areas and that our views have accordingly diverged.
In particular AYME seem to have become more willing to collaborate with the medical and psychiatric establishment in order to appear respectable. This appears to have been the cause of AYME’s relative enthusiasm for the NICE Guidelines, which most of us feel involve an overemphasis on CBT and GET. This compromise seems to have helped the psychiatrists to get a new lease of life.
The result of all this is that AYME appear to have alienated themselves from most of the other ME charities (with the exception of AfME who appear to be taking a similar position). In this controversy I feel more in sympathy with the rest of you.
I have gained the impression that AYME no longer appreciate my opinions and prefer my status as their figurehead to be a largely silent one.
It is a combination of all these factors that has caused me to resign and I am sure you will all understand.
With Best Wishes
Nigel Speight
We are especially delighted to announce the new Patron and Medical Advisor for our Group because as many of you will know, both stand for the true recognition and research of ME (as opposed to including it along with other Chronic Fatigue conditions). They also are firmly opposed to any psychological intervention within the area of ME.
We hope you will be delighted along with us regarding this news and please feel free to report or republish this information within your own publications etc.
With best wishes
Simon Lawrence
Chairperson
25% ME GROUP
21 Church Street
Troon
Ayrshire
KA10 6SQ
meagenda.wordpress.com 