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Professor Ernst damaged by FIH?
06 Mar 10
Reports in the Times http://bit.ly/aHttw6 and Guardian http://bit.ly/antqCl today note that Professor Edzard Ernst's research unit into complementary therapies at Peninsula Medical School may close due to lack of funds in 2011.
In 2005, Sir Michael Peat, then chairman of FIH, complained to Peninsula Medical School that Professor Ernst had discussed an unpublished draft of a report into complementary therapies, which had been shown to him in confidence. Professor Ernst is today quoted as blaming the FIH intervention for his unit's current peril: 'I can’t prove that there’s cause and effect, but I suspect I was so much persona non grata that the university began to look forward to getting rid of me. Now in about a year we will close the unit unless a miracle happens.'
The letters page from the Times in 2005 http://bit.ly/dqGll9 reveals a more complex set of affairs than FIH v Ernst, with Richard Horton of the Lancet leading criticism of Professor Ernst's breach of confidence.
Comments
edzard ernst
April 22, 2010
in the above article,you forgot to mention a few important things,eg that sir michael's letter to my vice chancellor started"i am writing both as the prince of wales' principal private secretary and as acting chairman of his royal highness' foundation for integrated health" or that,at the end of a 13-months' investigation into this matter,i was declared innocent of unethical behaviour.
Ingrid Collins
April 08, 2010
Delighted to hear that Professor Ernst is finally open to the idea of a miracle. I would love to know what proof he has of the existence of this phenomenon.
Stefaan Vossen
March 17, 2010
As per usual Professor Ernst is rather quick to assume that the lack of funding is due to all causes but himself. Unfortunately Professor Ernst has done little other than reiterate problems we are all very aware of. The funding put in place at his instalment has by-and-large been squandered and I am glad to see that the University of Exeter has seen fit to revise its method and means by which it wishes to contribute to the betterment and integration of therapies in the UK. Stefaan Vossen, Chiropractor, Warwick