Esther Crawley

Doctor Esther Crawley is a reader* in Child Health at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. She is a proponent of the biopsychosocial model for chronic fatigue syndrome. (*Reader is an academic rank in the UK similar to professor in the US.)

She is vice-chair of the UK CFS/ME Research Collaborative (CMRC) and leads the paediatric centre for children and young people with ME/CFS at the Royal United Hospital in Bath. (Previously at the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases In Bath). Her work has been funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and Action for ME.

She has published studies in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research and collaborates with Peter White of QMUL. Doctor Crawley is the Lead Medical Advisor at the British charity Association of Young People with ME (AYME) having replaced Dr Nigel Speight in 2009.

Notable studies
S.M.I.L.E. Lightning Process trial

Patients, including the patient group Invest in ME, have expressed concern at the trial.

MAGENTA trial

Doctor Crawley is planning a study to look at Cognitive behavioral therapy and Graded exercise therapy in children. . The protocol and peer review history have been published.

The trial will study 100 paediatric patients aged 8-17 in centres in Bath, Newcastle and Cambridge who will randomly receive graded exercise therapy or activity management.

Clinic location
Royal United Hospital, Bath, United Kingdom.

Talks & interviews

 * 2016, BBC Radio 4 Women's Hour (27 Jan 2016):Talks about teenage girls and [[chronic fatigue syndrome].]

Controversies and Criticism
Dr Crawley has been the subject of complaints to the General Medical Council (GMC) and has claimed to have received death threats

James Coyne has criticised Crawley's work with regard to public availability of data & the involvement of Phil Parker in the SMILE study.

Freedom of information request
Doctor Crawley has been subject to a request for information made under the Freedom of Information Act. In early 2016, a request was made for her to provide information about the number of pediatric patients she has rediagnosed with a psychiatric illness.

Online presence

 * Royal United Bath Hospitals: Fatigue Management, Children
 * PubMed
 * University of Bristol - Esther Crawley
 * School of Social and Community Medicine Bristol University