The coroner’s report on the death of Maeve Boothby-O’Neill offers a damning assessment of myalgic encephalitis (ME) care in the UK (“Coroner highlights lack of specialist care for ME patients after woman’s death”, Tuesday 8 October).
I was diagnosed with ME at 17. Now 38, I have received no support in the past two decades. My illness, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, has led to unemployment, social isolation and depression. My husband is often more of a carer, and I have no concept of what ME will eventually do to my body.
Approximately 250,000 people in the UK have ME. A further two million have long Covid, which is often strikingly similar in its symptoms, and costing an estimated £6bn annually in lost productivity.
We urgently need to fund ME research and allow treatments to be trialled – and to inform new guidelines (“Doctors held ‘outdated’ views about ME, inquest hears”, Wednesday 24 July).
Without this, those of us with ME remain ignored and uncertain of our futures.
Dr Patrick Preston
Paris, France
Nothing to fear from employment rights
As expected, there’s been a cacophony from both employers and unions about the new workers’ rights bill (“Unite union says Labour’s workers’ bill has ‘more holes than Swiss cheese’ over zero-hour contracts”, Friday 11 October).
What some of the more vociferous of the contributors fail to acknowledge is that it is just that – a bill. It is up for discussion, debate and possible House of Lords amendments before becoming an act. That’s surely the whole point of any government’s legislative programme.
That’s surely the whole point of any government’s legislative programme. Sadly, in contemporary society, compromise doesn’t seem to be a word much in use.
Rosemary Mathew
Cambridge
How slow can we afford to go?
The meagre new GDP figure – the economy grew by 0.2 per cent in August – reflects the national sense of sluggish frustration (“UK economy returns to growth in August after two stagnant months”, Friday 11 October). The highly anticipated Autumn Statement at the end of the month cannot come quickly enough.
The ongoing struggles faced by small and medium businesses have only worsened over the past year. Research shows that a third have had to pause or scale back operations due to financial constraints.
Small businesses are vital to our economy, driving job creation and innovation, yet persistent pressures, including geopolitical conflicts, a tightening labour market and cost of living challenges, continue to threaten their growth. The new government must use the Autumn Statement to foster an environment where businesses can thrive.
Imposing higher taxes risks undermining growth and economic recovery.
Douglas Grant
Isle of Man
Sub-postmasters deserve closure
It is difficult to believe that senior personnel at Fujitsu and the Post Office were unaware of the gross failings in their systems (“Former Post Office bosses ‘not held to account’ over Horizon IT scandal, CEO suggests”, Thursday 10 October).
Thanks to the faulty Horizon system, innocent people were prosecuted and many sent to jail, despite having no case to answer.
By not doing anything to right these wrongs, senior management is culpable in the devastation visited upon unsuspecting sub-postmasters. It is appalling. They must be held to account.
Keith Poole
Basingstoke
Green? It’s the new blackout…
In my opinion, it is not Vladimir Putin’s war that causes the UK to have such expensive electricity (“Energy bill advice this winter from warm home discount to free electric blankets”, Monday 7 October). It is our reliance on volatile, weather-dependent electricity sources – ones that need mind-blowing amounts of environmental vandalism just to install the necessary infrastructure.
Off-shore wind farms are an intermittent and unreliable producer of electricity. They often have a huge environmental impact on marine life – a by-product that is overlooked by most pushing the eco agenda. Green is the new blackout.
Lyndsey Ward
Beauly
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