Clare Gerada: influence on UK medical practice and ME/CFS management

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Dr Clare Gerada has been appointed a crossbench peer in the House of Lords and is now a Baroness. She is married to psychiatrist Sir Simon Wessely, the main architect of the now-discredited psychological approach to #MECFS.​


Gerada has been a long supporter of this model and treatments including trying to influence policy - she sent a letter expressing concern about the Scottish Good Practice Statement on #MECFS in 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/2013081...tgroup.org.uk/resources/ClareGeradaLETTER.pdf

She also appeared in a damaging 1990s GP training video about #MECFS, saying to a patient “You’re obviously drinking erratically during the week.” A strange thing to include in a training video when many people with #MECFS don’t tolerate alcohol.

In the same video, she also advised a patient with #MECFS to keep exercising “even when they feel rotten” advice now recognised as harmful and withdrawn from NICE guidance in 2021 because the research was flawed and many patients reported it made them worse.

Gerada appeared on BBC Breakfast in Jan 2021 in a segment about Long Covid, stating that “there is nothing that isn’t made better through exercise.” This is false as at least 50% of patients report that graded exercise makes their #MECFS worse.https://meassociation.org.uk/2017/0...e-least-negative-reactions-02-september-2017/

After significant pushback, rather than acknowledge her statement was problematic, Gerada tried to paint herself as the victim, saying she was only describing her post-Covid experience not talking about Long Covid - See full thread
Robert Saunders (aka McMullen)

Robert Saunders (aka McMullen)​

Jan 30 21
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The treatment of #MECFS has been described by George Monbiot as “the greatest medical scandal of the 21st century.” Watch the 27 minute explainer video or read the transcript with references:
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A non sequitur but I was caught by “She also appeared in a damaging 1990s GP training video about #MECFS, saying to a patient “You’re obviously drinking erratically during the week.” A strange thing to include in a training video when many people with #MECFS don’t tolerate alcohol”. Many years ago, in the 1990s, when I was still struggling to continue working, an occupational health consulted started his assessment with ‘ME does exist so you either have aids or are an alcoholic, which is it?” I have always wondered why he had picked these two unconnected arbitrary conditions, perhaps there was a medical thing in the 90s about ME and alcohol misuse being some how related.
 
V.R.T. said:
Should this say 'doesn't '?

It is absolutely galling that she and Wessely are allowed to pretend that they cared about people with ME/CFS whilst having devoted their careers to maligning us and doing away with ME/CFS as a diagnosis.
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Perhaps you should say ‘having devoted much of their careers to maligning us’ as they have also worked quite hard at maligning other clinical and non clinical groupings too.
 
Peter T said:
A non sequitur but I was caught by “She also appeared in a damaging 1990s GP training video about #MECFS, saying to a patient “You’re obviously drinking erratically during the week.” A strange thing to include in a training video when many people with #MECFS don’t tolerate alcohol”. Many years ago, in the 1990s, when I was still struggling to continue working, an occupational health consulted started his assessment with ‘ME does exist so you either have aids or are an alcoholic, which is it?” I have always wondered why he had picked these two unconnected arbitrary conditions, perhaps there was a medical thing in the 90s about ME and alcohol misuse being some how related.
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This really shows how deep the 'blame and stigmatise the patient' rot goes. And that it was reinforced in training to treat the patient with suspicion.

It must be your fault you feel ill. You must be an alcoholic (which is still a very stigmatised condition) or have AIDS (still an extremely stigmatised condition in the 90s).

In a sane world this video alone would have barred her from this kind of political elevation.
 
Jaybee00 said:


"Huge congratulations to our former Chair and President Clare Gerada on becoming a Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords.

A lifelong College member and now a Baroness – but first and foremost a grassroots GP who continues to deliver exceptional care to your patients and to fight for the profession you love.

You witnessed the power of general practice from a young age, seeing at first-hand the difference your GP father made to his patients’ lives, and we know you will be the most powerful advocate for GPs and patients in the House of Lords.

We are so proud of you Clare. You are an inspirational and courageous leader, and this is a historic moment for you and for our College. We wish you every success."

Comments pretty negative on this.
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just going through the comments and found this

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1761224991652.png
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says it all really - particularly when you read the "Basically." that she wrote after the claim "They told be to F off." which kind of infers that at best she used poetic licence. And when you read the rest you think 'politely ignored, knowing she was talking nonsense' has been turned into a story akin to 'being trolled'
 
bobbler said:
just going through the comments and found this





says it all really - particularly when you read the "Basically." that she wrote after the claim "They told be to F off." which kind of infers that at best she used poetic licence. And when you read the rest you think 'politely ignored, knowing she was talking nonsense' has been turned into a story akin to 'being trolled'
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Its absolutely insane how many NHS staff still believe covid isnt airborne. This was Feb 2020 but could easily be Feb 2025.
 
Peter T said:
Perhaps you should say ‘having devoted much of their careers to maligning us’ as they have also worked quite hard at maligning other clinical and non clinical groupings too.
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On the rare occasion where I see Wessely's name outside of our community, wow is he hated by a lot of people. It's actually impressive, and the contrast it offers with the gushing praise he gets within UK medicine circles is the most impressive part.

That really should be a big clue about what it means for us, because once can be excused, twice is hard to justify, but this is even more than that. Punching down remains the best way to get ahead in life, so of course it's always rewarded.
 
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V.R.T. said:
Its absolutely insane how many NHS staff still believe covid isnt airborne. This was Feb 2020 but could easily be Feb 2025.
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I can believe that.

Just another story (if it happened) of

Certain type insists on forcing misinformation onto someone --> person politely ignores in order to avoid harming their own health --> person who gave out said 'advice' then decides to turn it into a story reworded to not just claim but centre the focus around the claim they'd been told to 'F off' and were somehow both in the right and 'the victim'

.. to try and distract whilst/sugarpill force-feeding that same incorrect message/order down readers' ears as 'the correct info' and not to listen to anyone telling you any different

And at the same time turning it into an identity/ideology issue rather than science where the focus is on allegiance (and which truth you believe is based on 'who was in the right' in the made up exchange?)

Is there a term for this old chestnut of a sandwich technique in the old intellectual tricks/using storytelling to sell messages vocab?
 
V.R.T. said:
This really shows how deep the 'blame and stigmatise the patient' rot goes. And that it was reinforced in training to treat the patient with suspicion.

It must be your fault you feel ill. You must be an alcoholic (which is still a very stigmatised condition) or have AIDS (still an extremely stigmatised condition in the 90s).

In a sane world this video alone would have barred her from this kind of political elevation.
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The overall strategy has obviously been to simply make us so hated that no one would want to help us. It's the only thing they actually achieved, but they managed 100% at it.

It's actually baffling that it worked, to be honest. The gullibility here is so high that it warrants massive audits, but then comes the problem of who would audit. Autarky, self-rule, never works. Everyone needs to be held accountable, there is no amount of skill or talent that can overcome the trap of falling for one's hubris. But when you mix that with no useful skills, whew it just creates a nasty mix.
 
[Edited for clarity]:

Slightly off-topic but it follows from an [expanded] quote in an earlier post here (#165) regarding threads on X/Bluesky:

"The treatment of #MECFS has been described by George Monbiot as 'the greatest medical scandal of the 21st century.'"

This line is being used by many people now; it's inaccurate and misleading.

The original "greatest medical scandal of the 21st century" quote came from the then MP, Carol Monaghan, in a 2018 Westminster Hall parliamentary debate. In saying "21st century", she was referring only to the PACE trial - which is correct.

George Monbiot's version reduces the entire ongoing ME travesty to a mere 25 years instead of more than half a century. This diminishes the impact of the shocking history of ME and dismisses the work of several generations of advocates.

[ETA] History matters.
 
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This is so disappointing but not in any way surprising. I note from the report in the Independent that she was recommended by the independent House of Lords Appointments Commission and will sit as a crossbench peer: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...of-gps-dame-aid-prime-minister-b2850210.html#

The two peerages were recommended by the independent House of Lords Appointments Commission (Holac) and announced on Wednesday.

Holac has recommended a total of 78 non-party-political peerages since 2000 to the Prime Minister, drawn from approximately 6,500 nominations.
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She is an already Professor Dame Clare, Lady Wessely. I wonder where the Baroness title goes. I know where I would put it!

I guess Wessely will be disappointed that she has got there first. I anticipate that he will be appointed after he’s told the government what it wants to hear about autism and ADHD (https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/n...-mental-health-and-neurodivergence-for-labour).
 
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rvallee said:
The overall strategy has obviously been to simply make us so hated that no one would want to help us.
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And then claim they are the noble saviours trying to help us against the bigotry of the profession & world. Something Wessely was doing from very early on. The levels of narcissism and callousness that requires is just breath-taking.

This pair are a stark warning to the world about the dangers of allowing a power couple in the same or closely related area of policy. Over the decades they have degenerated into a very disturbing self-reinforcing folie á deux, causing horrendous damage.

So, of course, they get well rewarded for it, and robust protection from any meaningful accountability. Because, apparently, that really is the way the world works.
 
Sid said:
It's amazing how unpopular she is on Twitter/X not just among patients but also doctors. She has managed to piss off pretty much everybody which is delicious to watch.
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Yes, I broke my X boycott to read the responses and couldn’t resist chipping in with a reply to the RCGP.

It’s heartening in a way that she appears. to be so unpopular with doctors. I hope it may cause some of them to question whether ME/CFS patients’ concerns about her might be valid after all.
 
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