During the evening of Tuesday, 6th October, Sarah Brown hosted a Reception at 10 Downing Street on behalf of the charity LUPUS UK to promote Lupus Awareness Month and the launch of the book, Lupus – Diagnosis and Treatment.

The Reception was arranged in just over a week following contact made with John Hibbs who twittered Sarah to tell her he will be taking part in the 2010 Virgin London Marathon as part of the West Midlands Lupus Group Golden Bond Team. John’s sister, Viki, has lupus and the family are raising funds for the Group in appreciation of the help and support that has been shown to Viki.

Around 80 people travelled from throughout the UK to attend the Reception, including medical consultants who have contributed to the book, members of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Lupus, Trustees and Patrons of LUPUS UK and lupus patients.

Realising that there was no book on the diagnosis of lupus aimed specifically at GPs and other Health Professionals such as physiotherapists, podiatrists etc, Yvonne Norton compiled the first edition, Lupus – a GP Guide to Diagnosis in 2000. This book was sent to every GP practice in the UK as well as to medical personnel in the armed forces and was very well received.

Yvonne, who was awarded the MBE in 2007 for Services to Healthcare, says “The time has now come for a revision of the book. This second edition, Lupus – Diagnosis and Treatment, has taken three years to complete. It brings existing chapters up-to-date and introduces chapters on new areas such as Mood Disorder and Complementary Therapies. It should be a ‘must’ for all GP surgeries.

Yvonne said “I am delighted that Sarah Brown so kindly offered to host the Reception to not only launch the book but to also highlight Lupus Awareness Month. Speaking at 10, Downing Street gave me the opportunity to thank all the medics who have contributed to the book, the MPs and Peers who give so much support and the lupus patients who struggle to cope daily with the effects of what can be a most debilitating disease.”