Suzy Chapman for ME agenda:
A pilot study on the controversial Lightning Process led by Dr Esther Crawley using children as young as eight has received the go ahead from a South West Region Research Ethics Committee (REC), despite widespread public concern and condemnation by two UK national patient organisations.
The organisations said: “We are issuing this joint statement due to widespread public concern, together with our own serious reservations, about a forthcoming study of the psychologically-based Lightning Process on children."
In June, ME agenda reported that Alastair Gibson, who had previously identified himself as one of two Lightning Process coaches involved with the NHS study, was the subject of an Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruling.
The ASA upheld a complaint about unsubstantiated claims made for the efficacy of the Lightning Process in ME and CFS in an advertisement for Mr Gibson’s “Withinspiration” company.
The South West Regional Manager for the National Research Ethics Service (NRES) confirmed to me, in May, that there is apparently no process through which REC decisions might be challenged by the public.
Doctor Speedy and ME in search of medical honesty
I wonder if sir Peter Spencer (CEO of AfME & non-executive director of Bath's Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic diseases, where CBT & GET are offered as the only treatments for ME) sat on the ethics committee?
ReplyDeleteThis study is child abuse.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children are, thank goodness, to investigate this proposed study:
ReplyDeletehttp://networkedblogs.com/87U9K
What about the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Everyone Else"!!
ReplyDeleteOr would that be too anarchistic?
"What about the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Everyone Else"!!
ReplyDeleteOr would that be too anarchistic?"
adults can give their informed consent, even to nonsense like this - children cannot