The Times had been reporting on ME (or chronic fatigue syndrome) for years, highlighting the stigma faced by people suffering from the misunderstood disease. But the death, in October 2021, of Maeve Boothby O\u2019Neill, daughter of senior Times journalist Sean O\u2019Neill, gave new impetus to the campaign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the inquest into Maeve\u2019s death approached in July 2024, The Times supported O\u2019Neill\u2019s determination to use the coronial process to highlight the systemic failings in the care of an estimated 750,000 ME sufferers, to shift the political, health and scientific agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps the most powerful article amid extensive coverage of the inquest and its implications was a magazine piece featuring harrowing extracts from a journal O\u2019Neill kept during the inquest process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maeve \u201cfell into a huge hole in the health and social care system,\u201d he wrote, adding that the inquest at least got people talking about \u201cthis hidden illness\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The coroner acknowledged the \u201cvery influential\u201d role of The Times as she produced the \u2018Report to Prevent Future Deaths\u2019, with reforms, policy changes, funding for research, and better training for healthcare professionals set to follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The campaign won ‘Campaign of the Year’ at the Press Awards in 2025. The judges praised \u201ca compassionate and powerful piece of public service journalism\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As of June 2025, Sean continues to press the government to publish its plan for the future treatment of ME, the third time in 9 months.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":17089,"template":"","published":[64],"region":[20],"class_list":["post-17088","case-studies","type-case-studies","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","published-64","region-national-campaigns"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n