A Response To Jeremy Vine Radio 2 Programme

To Jeremy Vine, Dr Sarah Jarvis and the producers of the Jeremy Vine radio programme,

This letter is sent from the Board and Members of The British Lymphology Society, a registered charitable organisation that seeks to benefit those living with lymphoedema through education, raising awareness, supporting and driving improvements in clinical practice and research. We support professionals across the UK and abroad who treat or have an interest in lymphoedema. We have been striving towards the goal of educating and raising awareness about lymphoedema and its treatment for a long time, and this year we celebrate our 40th anniversary.

We listened with interest to the segment about lymphoedema on the Jeremy Vine Radio 2 show on Monday, 9th June 2025. Initially, we were delighted to hear that the condition was to be featured on a prime-time show as we applaud any attempt to highlight a condition that is poorly understood, under-recognised and under-funded. This condition rarely receives attention in mainstream media, so we welcomed the opportunity for greater public awareness. However, a few seconds in, this excitement quickly turned to concern as it became apparent the segment had been ill-researched and was factually incorrect on many occasions. Misunderstandings about the functions and workings of the lymphatic system led to numerous inaccurate statements that could result in harm to those listening to the programme who have these symptoms. Inaccuracies included referring to chronic oedema as something different from a problem with the lymphatic system and that pitting oedema is only generally associated with heart failure. Had the researchers involved someone who was knowledgeable about lymphoedema, it would have avoided a lot of this misinformation being broadcast.

As mentioned during the segment, lymphoedema is indeed more common in the legs and arms, but it can develop anywhere in the body. In third world countries, the most common cause is Filariasis, but in the UK the most common causes of lymphoedema are obesity, cancer and following the treatment for cancer, but there are many other causes such as problems with the circulatory system, infection, trauma and many others.

Numerous patients present with lymphoedema, and it is not, as stated, decreasing in numbers these days. It would have been more relevant to state that over 400 000 people of all ages have lymphoedema in this country, and there are many more who are yet to seek help or have not had the condition recognised. To say that the condition is becoming less common is grossly inaccurate and does damage to the relentless hard work of raising awareness of the condition that charities like ours and the Lymphoedema Support Network do. 

Access to lymphoedema services in the UK is a postcode lottery of NHS commissioning, funding and contracts with many people with non cancer related lymphoedema facing long delays in accessing any treatment or advice. Sadly, access to treatment is not as easy as Dr Jarvis insinuated, and many patients are falsely told there is no treatment and left to live with the condition, are frequently told to ‘lose weight’, often in a judgemental manner, without support or understanding or are told there are no treatment services in their area of the country. Inequality of service provision is a huge issue, and services are not always based in a local hospital. However, there are things a patient and any healthcare professional can do to help and ease the symptoms, and had this been covered in the segment, this area could have been so productive and beneficial to many listeners.

Quite rightly, the programme mentioned the importance of preventing infection; however, there was a lot of discussion around the negative impact but little about how to reduce and manage risks, or what to do if you suspect the serious yet very common complication of cellulitis. Instead, the callers and presenters focussed on the extreme consequences of sepsis, which most certainly would cause alarm in any patient listening who has lymphoedema.

Treatment was briefly mentioned during the show, but Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) was emphasised. However, MLD is not an evidence-based, standalone modality, so discussing waiting times concerning this was not helpful – there is so much other information and management that people can be doing. Looking after the skin and remaining active were touched on, but the reasons for these interventions were missed, and compression therapy was only mentioned when Jeremy Vine brought it up.

In addition to what has been outlined already in this letter, we wish to  highlight the psychological damage the feature has brought to the lymphoedema community as a whole. Asking people not to stare and calling the condition ‘unsightly’ is insensitive, offensive, and shocking in equal measure. Although we know lymphoedema can cause a poorer quality of life to some, there are many, many people living well with lymphoedema, and this negative portrayal was not helpful. These words have been devastating, even to the patients who have lymphoedema who have achieved tremendous things, such as successful dance and acting careers, as well as an inspirational young woman winning an Olympic medal last year. We note there was no mention of your broadcasting colleague, Trisha Goddard, who is our Patron, continuing with an extremely successful career despite having lymphoedema in her arm following breast cancer.

Besides this harm, the most disappointing thing is that your researchers could have used the opportunity to contact charities like ours and the Lymphoedema Support Network, which support people living with lymphoedema. Had you done so, this feature would have been factually correct and informative rather than inaccurate and scaremongering.

We are in no doubt that you would like to provide accurate and informative details about this condition and correct the inaccuracies outlined in the show. As such, we would be delighted if a representative from the British Lymphology Society and the Lymphoedema Support Network and a patient who lives well with lymphoedema join Jeremy Vine and Dr Jarvis in a future episode of the programme to right the numerous wrongs and harm caused by the programme on 9th June.

I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

BLS Board