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G
etting the Daily Mail to print
a correction is no mean
feat, but when gluten-free
prescribing hit the front
page of the Daily Mail in August last year
with ‘Doughnuts and pizzas on the NHS:
£116million of food for special diets
including junk food was handed out in
prescriptions in the past year’. Member,
Jayne Walker, was incensed: “The article
greatly sensationalised the facts. I think
it was vital to set the record straight.”
Jayne contacted the Independent
Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) with
a complaint about the article: “There
is an Editors code of practice with
different categories so you have to say
in which category you feel there was
a breach and why. It then goes to the
newspaper and they have the chance
to respond. I was not happy with the
answers I received from the Daily Mail
so I continued to challenge them,”
Jayne said.
While Jayne was running with the
case, Coeliac UK was also working to
Seeing the results on a local level is
really gratifying for Kevin. “We know
it works – I’ve met people again a few
months later after first meeting them on
our monthly stand. Something as simple
as having a stand in Leeds market once a
month where we talk to people and give
out information helps reach people and
help get them diagnosed. That’s what
it’s all about.”
“Something as simple
as having a stand in
Leeds market once a
month where we talk
to people and give out
information helps
reach people and help
get them diagnosed”.
Finding the time to take on a role and
campaign on behalf of Coeliac UK as
well as run a Group is a big job, but it’s
all about team work. “You get to know
people really well and I have a great
team around me in the Committee. I
know people work and have families too,
but you can pick and choose with the
campaign bits and just do a few hours
here and there. It doesn’t have to be
correct the misinformation in the article.
We wrote a letter to the editor, issued
press statements with the accurate
NHS spend and used our networks of
healthcare professionals to get them to
put out statements in support of
gluten-free prescribing.
Other Members and supporters were
also getting involved and a week later
the Daily Mail printed nine letters from
those affected by the article.
Later, in November, Jayne’s case with
IPSO was resolved and the Daily Mail
printed a correction and apology on
page 2 of the newspaper and online.
With Jayne challenging the article and so
many of us contacting the newspaper, it
was a great result for our community.
Jayne says: “I would encourage
everyone to get involved especially with
the prescription services being cut. I
think about people with children or on
low incomes who the cuts will affect
badly. I think it is important to think
about others in this situation. We all
belong to the same club.”
Taking on the media
a full time job as lots of other people
are giving their time too and it means
people have the option to build up their
involvement when they have more
time,” said Kevin.
“One man said to me at our last
market event that he knew someone
who had coeliac disease and said,
‘You’re doing a wonderful job, keep it
up.’ I know we’re making a difference.”
“The article greatly
sensationalised the facts.
I think it was vital to set
the record straight.”
PEOPLE
Kevin Stone at his Awareness Week event at Waitrose
Jayne Walker
