I would like to respond to Raymond Perrin's concerns regarding the controversial London diagnostic criteria for ME.

While I agree entirely with his sentiment (quote): "All of us should pool our resources of knowledge and present a unified front to the rest of medicine without these destructive arguments", there are unfortunately agendas afoot which are not in our interests.

In an effort to reclassify ME/CFS as a psychiatric disorder, the Oxford Criteria were devised some years ago in the UK; they exclude neurological conditions. What could not be foreseen by those who worked tirelessly to reclassify ME in this way, is that their own diagnostic ruling now excludes ME from the current research and newly established clinics because the WHO states categorically that ME is indeed a neurological disease. I believe the expression "hoisted with their own petard" applies here.

How was the dilemma to be resolved? Simple! Bring in other diagnostic criteria that includes ME and the controversial London criteria fitted the bill nicely.

The move is unethical; it is dishonest; it will produce results that are valueless and it will place sufferers of ME in even more danger than they already are.

Regards to all.

Gurli Bagnall
New Zealand

May 2005