Complaint
This edition featured neurologist and author Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan discussing the themes explored in her book “The Age of Diagnosis”. A listener complained that the programme presented a materially misleading account of Long Covid by framing it primarily through Dr O’Sullivan's view that, for many people, it is a psychosomatic condition, without adequately reflecting other biomedical evidence relating to the illness and that her arguments were not subjected to sufficient challenge or the issue put into sufficient context. The ECU considered whether the programme met the standards of accuracy and impartiality set out in the ĢƵ Editorial Guidelines.
Outcome
The Guidelines make clear that context is an important consideration when assessing whether due accuracy and due impartiality have been achieved. This programme did not set out to provide a comprehensive examination of the medical evidence relating to Long Covid. The context was instead a wide-ranging interview which looked at Dr O’Sullivan’s thoughts on over-diagnosis as set out in her book. Long Covid formed only one part of a much broader discussion. In the context as described, neither the guidelines on Accuracy nor Impartiality would require all of the aspects of the scientific debate about Long Covid to be examined. Mr Rajan made clear to listeners that Dr O’Sullivan’s views had attracted significant criticism and put to her, in some detail, some of the principal criticisms before inviting her to respond. Listeners were therefore made aware both of the fact that her views were contested and the principal basis for challenging them.
Not Upheld