Clare talks M.E. on BBC Radio Tees
February 24, 2021
This morning, our Services and Communications Team Leader, Clare Ogden, appeared in place of CEO Sonya Chowdhury on the Neil Green show on BBC Radio Tees to discuss M.E. and the lack of recognition and support that is offered for the illness.
This was highlighted by last week’s call from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus for Long Covid to be recognised as an occupational disease for frontline workers. Clare noted: “It’s right that there’s recognition for anyone living with a post-viral condition, and they deserve understanding, support, and appropriate treatment, and that must now happen for M.E., as well as Long Covid.”
Clare’s interview followed a recorded interview with Bob Glen, whose wife Catherine developed M.E., causing her to have to give up her job and for them both to cancel their long-held retirement plans.
As well as focusing on the contrast in attitudes towards Long Covid and M.E., Clare’s interview referenced services available for people with M.E. - including Action for M.E.’s support service, and the key changes made to the draft NICE guideline for M.E.:
“It (the draft NICE Guideline for M.E.) makes it clear that the current symptoms management approaches recommended by the (2007) guideline, which is Graded Exercise Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy are not suitable for people with M.E. The issue now is to invest in more biomedical research to find out what is suitable and what can improve 100s of 1000s of lives like Bob and Catherine’s.”
You can listen to the full segment on BBC Sounds. The piece begins at 02:08:50 with Neil Green speaking to Bob, while Clare’s appearance comes at 02:13:25, running until 02:18:20.
