Lucibee

@lucibee

Science defender and eco-worrier. (she/her) No DMs please (can't access).

851 Folgt1.651 Follower4.819 Posts

Bluesky

Ist das dein Profil?Übernimm es — dann gehört dir lucibee.dirty.social.Profil übernehmen

Lucibee@lucibee· 1d

OH used his refractor scope with a homemade Baader filter.

A young man looking through a telescope at the solar eclipse in 2015. There is a Baader filter on the aperture, so it's OK.

Lucibee@lucibee· 1d

And I used a colander too...

Lots of crescent suns cast onto the wall of the house with a colander in 2015.

Lucibee@lucibee· 1d

My eclipse setup in 2015.

A blue Newtonian reflector telescope in a wooden support with a large piece of cardboard surrounding the aperture. The image is directed through the eyepiece and onto a white piece of paper on an angled board (supported by a step stool).

There are raised beds and a lawn in the background.

Close up showing the eyepiece and the image cast of the crescent sun on the angled paper.

Closer still with the crescent sun on the imaging board.

Lucibee@lucibee· 1d

Reminder that you don't need expensive equipment to enjoy the eclipse on Wednesday... A colander or even a tree will do. (Don't look directly at the sun though)

Facebook post from Midlands Storm Chasers UK shows the effects of the eclipse filtered through trees and a colander.

Lots of crescent suns shadowed on the ground, as the gaps in the leaves or the holes in the colander act as lots of pinhole cameras.

Lucibee@lucibee· 2d

Looking at the letter itself, the section on "ICB service specification" looks quite positive in that regard.

3.1.4 Integrated Care Board (ICB) Service Specification

Ensure that the template service specification under development includes robust advice for ICBs on caring for people with very severe ME and that ICBs are strongly encouraged to put these measures in place. Forward ME would be happy to co-produce an addendum to the current draft specifying how ICBs should provide care in the interim i.e. until a specialised service is established (a further addendum could then describe this pathway.)

The ICB service specification should:
• Avoid creating situations where patients are nominally included within services that lack the expertise to manage very severe illness safely;
• Recommend that ICBs establish service-level agreements with experienced specialist private providers so that the most severely affected patients can access funded expert care immediately until the equivalent level of expertise is available within the NHS;
• Recognise existing specialist private providers as preferred providers where patients are already receiving care from them;
• Include references to national guidance and accountability structures applicable to people with very severe ME - in hospital or the community; and
• Provide guidance regarding Continuing Healthcare (CHC) eligibility and assessment in the context of very severe ME.

[extract from Forward ME's Proposed Urgent Safety and Support Measures for People with Very Severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis letter
submitted to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England (NHSE) in July 2026 - https://forward-me.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/31072026-FME-Proposed-Urgent-Safety-and-Support-Measures-Final-Website.pdf ]

Lucibee@lucibee· 9d

Purple sport on my white buddleia.

White buddleia has produced a solitary purple spray.

Lucibee@lucibee· 9d

Swallows on the wires. [sound up]

Lucibee@lucibee· 11d

Allister Heath is editor of The Telegraph. 🤦‍♀️

Tweet from Allister Heath says:

"Britain can't stop climate change. Scrap net zero and embrace Mediterranean life"

Image shows a wind turbine on fire.

Meanwhile, wildfires rage across the Mediterranean region due to climate change.

Lucibee@lucibee· 14d

fren

Lucibee@lucibee· 18d

One big flaw in this report is the lumping of 'pacing' in with movement and exercise. 🤦 In many ways, this shows the sheer level of misunderstanding and misinterpretation that is going on.

Extract from the report:

Given the variability in how pacing is understood and used, the study opted to record any discussion of movement as part of recovery. Even with this capacious definition that included references to movement or exercise (such as, ‘going for a walk’) as well as using pacing as an approach to energy management, only 39% of participants spoke about this overall, with little difference between those who fully recovered and those who are recovering. The surprising finding is that around 60% of participants recovered or significantly improved without adopting an intentional practice of movement. Assumptions around efficacy should not be made, given that for many of the other 40%, movement was reported to have played a significant role in recovery. Moreover, it is possible to pace and increase exercise and movement without defining this as a conscious practice. It is surprising to learn that only 35% of participants with a diagnosis of ME/CFS adopted a practice of pacing or movement.

Lucibee@lucibee· 18d

The problem is that there is very little accurate data on the exact rates of recovery, or on the reasons for recovery. Because it's a constantly moving target. However, even the rough shape of the data in Sarah Cefai's report gives an indication of that long tail.

Graph of recovery.

25 people at <5 years, 12 at 5-9 years, 14 at 10-19 years, 3 at 20-29 years, 4 at 30-35 years.

The graph would look much nicer if the time periods were all equal (5 years).

Lucibee@lucibee· 19d

Compare and contrast. On the left: Last night's DHSC ministers page. On the right: This morning's DHSC ministers page.

DHSC webpage shows images of "Our ministers":
Yvette Cooper, Baroness Merron, Sharon Hodgson, Preet Kaur Gill, Diana Johnson, Karin Smyth.

DHSC webpage shows images of "Our ministers":
Yvette Cooper, Baroness Merron, Diana Johnson, Karin Smyth, Alison McGovern.

Lucibee@lucibee· 21d

Red zinnia keeps on getting betterer.

Bright red zinnia, now with added yellow sparkles.

Lucibee@lucibee· 23d

Surprising gardening tip that you really don’t think is going to work until you try it and it does #327: Spray squashes, courgettes and curcubits with milk to prevent mildew.

A large healthy courgette plant with no mildew.

Lucibee@lucibee· 24d

16.1 The questions and the stock answer from Sharon Hodgson are shown below:

ME/CFS: Health Services

Question for Department of Health and Social Care

UIN 16891, tabled on 8 July 2026

Question from Sir Julian Smith (Conservative, MP for Skipton and Ripon):
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to support those with very severe ME.

ME/CFS: Health Services

Question for Department of Health and Social Care

UIN 16893, tabled on 8 July 2026

Question from Sir Julian Smith (Conservative, MP for Skipton and Ripon):

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to develop specialist expertise in hospitals for treating very severe ME, further to the Prevention of Future Deaths Report published on 8 October 2024.

Answer from Mrs Sharon Hodgson (Labour, MP for Washington and Gateshead South).

Answered on 16 July 2026:

The Department, together with NHS England, has developed an e-learning programme to help support healthcare professionals in the treatment and care of patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The programme consists of four modules, three of which have universal access, while the fourth is targeted at healthcare professionals. This programme includes two modules on ‘Managing Severe ME/CFS’, which also covers very severe ME/CFS, and the second version of this module for healthcare professionals addresses clinical approaches to severe and very severe ME/CFS. The e-learning is available at the following link:

https://learninghub.nhs.uk/catalogue/mecfselearning?nodeId=7288(opens in a new tab)

This e-learning, while not mandatory, is expected to support healthcare professionals, including in hospitals, deliver the right care for patients with severe and very severe ME/CFS. Additionally, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of ME/CFS, including in hospitals, which are expected to be taken fully into account.

Additionally, ME/CFS: the final delivery plan, published in July 2025, included an action to consider whether a specialised service should be commissioned by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe ME/CFS.

Lucibee@lucibee· 25d

Gazania

Lucibee@lucibee· 25d

Zinnia

Lucibee@lucibee· 27d

Morning visitation from the hummingbird hawk moth

Lucibee@lucibee· 28d

Gazania

Lucibee@lucibee· 28d

Zinnia

Lucibee@lucibee· Jul 10

My well-shaded patio.

A north-facing patio, shaded by a big green gazebo. There are lots of plants in pots and a couple of garden chairs. I know they’re facing the back door, but you can move them if you don’t want to sit there.

Lucibee@lucibee· Jul 10

It’s very jolly.

Nearly 6ft of chicory, covered in blue blooms.

Lucibee@lucibee· Jul 10

Chicory

Lucibee@lucibee· Jul 9

I put the thermometer in the sun for a few minutes… 🥵🥵🥵

ThermPro thermometer reads 50C, 21% humidity.

Lucibee@lucibee· Jul 9

Poor hydrangea is feeling the heat 🥵

Hydrangea flowers are going a bit crispy in the heat.

Lucibee@lucibee· Jul 8

*Even* Rachel Reeves 😱: "I will accept Nigel Farage’s request to be appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead. It is a farce and a desperate distraction, and the people of Clacton deserve better. But if he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won't stop him."

Rachel Reeves (UK Chancellor of the Exchequer) posts on X:

"I will accept Nigel Farage’s request to be appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead.

It is a farce and a desperate distraction, and the people of Clacton deserve better.

But if he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won't stop him."

Lucibee@lucibee· Jul 8

Even Burnham is getting in on the fun. #CountBinface

Andy Burnham on X posts:

Always worth knowing when bin day is.

[Image shows Burnham shaking Count Binface's hand at the recent Makerfield by-election.]

Lucibee@lucibee· Jul 7

15.1 This is Sharon Hodgson's answer:

Sharon Hodgson MP answered on 3 July 2026:

3 July 2026

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are expected to commission services for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) across all levels of severity, including those with severe and very severe ME/CFS, in line with national standards, service specifications, and clinical access policies set by NHS England. Prioritisation and funding remain at the discretion of ICBs.

Officials in the Department and NHS England are currently actively considering whether a specialised service for very severe ME/CFS should be commissioned by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. A final decision will not be made until after the abolition of NHS England is complete, in April 2027, when processes will be clearer. This is as a result of potential changes to the legislative process which may occur as a result of transformation in NHS England. Officials continue to progress this action as far as possible ahead of April 2027, so that work can continue at pace following the completion of transformation in NHS England. This could include convening the clinical committee ahead of time.

Lucibee@lucibee· Jul 7

The PH minister Sharon Hodgson is keen to mention the modules when constituents ask for updates about the ME Final Delivery Plan, but it's healthcare workers that need to see them, not constituents! "Taking steps" seems to mean putting modules on the hub, but then not promoting them effectively.

Form text from "reassurance" that Sharon Hodgson MP has been sending to MPs and constituents who have asked about the delay to a severe ME service:

"I would also like to reassure [constituent’s name] that we are taking steps to raise awareness of ME/CFS among healthcare professionals. The Department and NHS England have developed an e-learning programme to support healthcare professionals deliver the right care for patients with ME/CFS. All four sessions of this programme are now available; sessions 1, 2 and 3 have universal access, while the fourth session, which includes support and clinical management for severe ME/CFS, is only available to healthcare professionals. Further information can be found at learninghub.nhs.uk/catalogue/mecfselearning?nodeId=7288."

Lucibee@lucibee· Jul 6

Here is the full dataset from the updated FOIA request. Table shows the number of users with completed/incomplete (total accessed) sessions up to 20 June 2026. (Caveats apply - see alt text).