What is Chasing Competent Care?

Hope 4 ME & Fibro Northern Ireland have organized Chasing Competent Care as part of a campaign to improve medical care for the thousands of ME and fibromyalgia patients in Northern Ireland.  The conference will be tomorrow, Monday, June 6 at 6 PM at the Stormont Hotel, 587 Upper Newtownards Road, BT4 3LP Belfast.  Patient shoes will be displayed down the side of the conference hall, with each pair representing one of the millions of patients worldwide unable to participate in life due to ME and/or Fibromyalgia.

Can I still send my shoes?

Shoes are welcomed the day of the protest!  Patients unable to attend can send shoes with friends, perhaps also adding a label with the patient’s first name and number of years ill to add impact.  Please ensure shoes are tied together in pairs.

Alternatively, protesters can send their details via this form and Hope for ME and Fibro NI will write a label to pair with a donated pair of shoes. Labels and pens will also be available on the day.
Shoes that are not reclaimed will be donated to charity after the event.
Belfast protesters hope that, while many cannot attend in person, their empty shoes can tell their story for them.  Please consider attending and helping others send a pair of their shoes to represent them at the protest.

Who will present at the conference?

The conference will feature some incredible speakers.  Professor Mady Hornig, from Columbia University will give a talk entitled The search for biomarkers in ME/CFS: accelerating diagnosis, predicting treatment response.  Dr Joe McVeigh from the University of Ulster will give a talk on issues surrounding exercise in fibromyalgia.  Professor Malcolm Hooper will discuss his Review of the PACE Trial.  Take a closer look at the conference’s speakers and the topics they intend to cover, below.

The conference begins at 6:30pm with a 6pm registration.  Admission normally £6 at door, but Hope for ME & Fibro NI, who are sponsoring the protest, have raised enough funds to make attending the conference free for protesters!  Donations are welcome, but not required.  Attendees of lectures may receive 3 Continuing Professional Development credits awarded from Royal College of Physicians, London.  You can find more information on the conference by clicking on this link: Chasing Competent Care Conference.
Click here to take a look at Belfast’s #MillionsMissing protest page.