Background

Dr. Ian Gibson MP for Norwich North called for an independent
inquiry into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and set up a working group.

This page contains details of the inquiry preparation. The call for the inquiry follows on from a meeting with Kevin Short.

Invest in ME Meets with Dr. Gibson

In November Dr. Gibson invited us to a meeting after we had emailed him asking for the status of the inquiry.

Dr.Gibson said that he has been trying to get people interested and wants to get people involved so that both sides of the biological vs psychiatric debate can be heard. He feels only then can we really begin to get to the bottom of this illness.

The main challenge is in getting people involved who are acceptable to all involved in the ME community. The aim is to make this a truly independent inquiry.

Dr. Gibson thought that there would be some news on who is to be involved by the end of the year. Results from the inquiry, he thought, would be available by Easter 2006.

We were also asked if we would like to be involved in participating in any inquiry - we said of course. In our letters to MPs in our ME and My MP campaign we have referred to the Gibson Inquiry.

One thing was agreed - ME is a political firebox - any time money is involved then so is politics.

Return to the top

Request for Submissions

7/11/05

A submission to the Ian Gibson Independent Inquiry into ME has been made by Professor Malcolm Hooper, Eileen Marshall and Margaret Williams. Dated 7th November this document contains a list chronological events which precede this inquiry and which are relevant to enable a just and correct result to be obtained.

This link is here -

Return to the top

Request for Submission

22/11/05

Requests for submission are still going out to prominent people in the ME Community and researchers

Return to the top

Press Release Issued

1/12/2005

Ian Gibson's office has issued this Press Release - see here

Return to the top

Professor Malcolm Hooper's Response to Inquiry Press Release

3/12/2005

Professor Malcolm Hooper has responded to the Press Release after disquiet is voiced within the ME Community at the path the Inquiry is taking - see here

Return to the top

Accumulated Clinical Observations & Research 1955 - 2005 Submission

12/12/2005

Professor Malcolm Hooper and his colleagues Eileen Marshall and Margaret Williams have submitted a comprehensive account of research carried out between 1955 and 2005 to the Gibson Inquiry - see here - as published on MEActionUK (permission to repost granted)

Return to the top

Concerns About a Conflict of Interest Underlying the DWP Handbook Entry on ME

12/1/2006

Professor Malcolm Hooper highlights concerns on possible underlying conflicts of interest with the Department of Work and Pensions and its commercial advisors. See here.

Return to the top

The Inadequacy of the York Systematic Review of the CFS/ME Medical Evidence Base

18/1/2006

Professor Malcolm Hooper and Horace Reid have analysed the York review of evidence-based treatment of CFS/ME which was intended to input into future NICE guidelines for CFS/ME. Read here of the York review's work.

Return to the top

The group on Scientific Research into M.E. - List of members announced

20/2/2006

Dr. Ian Gibson has confirmed the list of members on this group. They are -

Return to the top

The First Meeting of Group on Scientific Research into M.E.

18th April 2006

The first hearing of the Group on Scientific research is held in London with representatives of charities and ME organisations.

Professor Malcolm Hooper - COMMENTS by PROFESSOR MALCOLM HOOPER AFTER FIRST MEETING of GROUP on 18^th APRIL 2006

21st April 2006

Professor Malcolm Hooper commented on the first meeting of the Group - read here.

Presentation to Inquiry by ME Research UK and Dr. Jonathan Kerr

7th June 2006

Dr Neil Abbot, Dr Vance Spence and Dr Jonathan Kerr presented at the third oral hearing of the Group on Scientific Research into ME (Gibson Parliamentary Inquiry) in London - read here.

Website Launched for Gibson Inquiry

6th July 2006

Dr Ian Gibson's parliamentary inquiry has set up a web site. Here is the link.

Gibson Inquiry Report Published

26th November 2006

Dr Ian Gibson's parliamentary inquiry has published its report.

See here for the original version in PDF	-
See here for the original version in Word	-
See Invest in ME's Response here	-
Further comment	-

Gibson Inquiry News Bulletin - 5th January 2007

5th January 2007

Dr Ian Gibson has written to The Treasury, Minister for Work, the Chief Medical Officer, CEO of the Medical Research Council,  the CEO of Academy of Medical Sciences. See here.