Dr Pete Gladwell Obituary
15th Oct 2026
The British Pain Society is deeply saddened by the news of Dr Pete Gladwell’s passing and extends its sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. Below, you can read his obituary written by Heather Muncey for the "Physiotherapy Frontline."
Dr Pete Gladwell died peacefully at his home in Bristol on 15th June 2026 at the age of 62.
Pete was a valued member of our profession known and respected by many physiotherapists in the U.K. and across the world for his work in Pain Management and in ME/CFS. He graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy from the University of the West of England in 1993. He had previously been awarded a BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences from the University of Sussex, Brighton. He went on to achieve a PhD in 2013 from the University of the West of England.
After qualifying, Pete worked in the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath and then moved to Frenchay Healthcare NHS Trust in Bristol. He specialised in multidisciplinary pain management working in the Pain Clinic including a TENS and Rehabilitation Clinic. Pete became a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist within the Pain Service at the North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT).
Pete took part in the development of a new NHS Service for people with ME/CFS in Bristol in 2004, and in 2015 Pete became Service Lead for the Bristol ME/CFS Service at NBT. He also supported the establishment of a new service for people with Long Covid in Bristol. He has collaborated extensively with the national ME/CFS charity Action for ME with three editions of their Pacing guide and has co-authored a report on the Action for ME 2010 rehabilitation survey which was published in the journal Disability and Rehabilitation in 2013. Pete represented the CSP on the DHSC group which developed the delivery plan for ME/CFS. He was a Trustee for the British Association of Clinicians in ME/CFS and was involved in updating their therapy guide and the response to the draft NICE Guideline for ME/CFS.
Throughout this time Pete was well known for providing post-graduate education in partnership with the Physiotherapy Pain Association in the biopsychosocial assessment of and a cognitive behavioural management approach to long term pain as well as to pain-related insomnia. He presented at national and international conferences and published posters in the areas of TENS in the management of long-term pain as well as that of ME/CFS. He was a visiting research fellow at the University of the West of England, has a number of publications in peer-reviewed journals and texts in these clinical areas and was a peer reviewer himself.
Outside of work, Pete was a great Allotmenteer along with his wife, Kate. He was a keen cyclist and walker. His calm and pleasant presence is a great loss to our profession, to his family and to many of us as a friend and colleague. His contribution to the development of physiotherapy practice and to patient care has been significant and the benefits of this will live on. He will be greatly missed.
Heather Muncey BA., Dip Grad Phys., FCSP, MCSP.