Helping Others to Abundant Living

The Guild of Health’s ruling Council of Trustees, on Wednesday 27 May 2010, agreed to make a substantial grant to Burrswood Christian Hospital to enable people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) to receive treatment at Burrswood and to get some qualitative research under way at the same time.
 
NHS sources say CFS/ME affects about 250,000 people in Britain today and Burrswood frequently has a waiting list for people referred for admission with this condition.
 
Dr Paul Worthley, (above), Senior Resident Physician at the non-surgical hospital in Kent, explained how limited the evidence base is to guide best practice in this disabling condition.
 
The grant of £91,000 will contribute towards the cost of treatment and care at Burrswood Hospital for one patient each month over a two year period. These patients will be given a ‘Guild of Health’ bursary. Hopefully the funding will be available from 1 March , and if any one is interested in benefitting from this, then they should apply for Admission to Burrswood in the normal way.

The funding will also support research into the ‘Quality of Life’ of these patients with CFS/ME, and see how it may change following their stay at Burrswood over the following year. Patients would not be under the spotlight and be expected to ‘perform’ certain tasks; rather it is the Burrswood experience that is in essence being evaluated. This work will be overseen by the University of Kent. The information obtained will further inform clinicians on helpful therapeutic approaches for many people with this condition. 
 
Burrswood has a long track record in caring for people with CFS/ME and has frequently seen people returned to health again.   One young woman, a former solicitor, told her story of being brought back to a near normal life after years of a “twilight existence”. She is convinced that Burrswood’s approach through Christian ministry, medical treatment, experienced nursing, empowering physiotherapy and emotional support will offer hope and healing to many.  Her written account is a work in progress. 
 
The celebratory photo includes Dr Gareth Tuckwell (Burrswood’s CEO), Dr  Paul Worthley (Lead Physician and Project Leader) and Rev’d Roger Hoath (Chair of The Guild of Health).