Freelance health writer and former Guild secretary Judy Hobson has won
The judges said: “Judy’s articles enabled those suffering from cancer
They were impressed by her carefully researched articles
Judy writes every month in Choices magazine and contributes to
Guild member Barbara Lantin was also highly commended for article
The awards were organised and funded by Pfizer in association with the
The 2009 Health Writing Awards were presented on October 13 at a glittering evening at Chandos House in London.
The winners and runners-up of the six categories were given their prizes by Guild president Dr Michael Dixon, a GP and health adviser to the Prince’s Trust. Winners received a cheque for £700 and runners-up £300, and a certificate.
Dr Dixon commented: ‘I was amazed by the wide range and standard of all of the articles and to have a record number of 300 entries is a real achievement.’
The award-winning entries appeared in a diverse range of publications, including the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph magazine, Reader’s Digest, the Morning Star and The Psychologist. Full details below.
Best national newspaper health feature sponsored by Vitabiotics:
WINNER Jane Feinmann
When A Trainee Surgeon Was Let Loose On This Little Girl
Daily Mail, 6th June 2009
RUNNER UP Victoria Lambert
Made To Save - the issue of saviour siblings
Daily Telegraph, 7th March 2009
Best consumer magazine health feature sponsored by Spink:
WINNER Susannah Hickling
Don’t Get Sick After Dark
Reader’s Digest, November 2007
RUNNER UP Elizabeth Adlam
The Picture That Saved A Baby’s Life
Reader’s Digest, March 2009
Best trade and specialist publication feature sponsored by Viridian Nutrition Ltd:
WINNER Dr Christian Jarrett
When therapy causes harm
The Psychologist Magazine, January 2008
RUNNER UP Nick Warburton
Crocodile Fears
Environmental Health Practitioner, January 2009
Best online health contribution sponsored by The Nutri Centre:
WINNER Fergus Walsh
Fergus on Flu
BBC.co.uk, 26th June 2008
RUNNER UP John Lister
The beginning of the end
The Morning Star online, 16th March 2009
Best regional newspaper health feature sponsored by Medtronic:
WINNER Clare Semke
Fighting Alzheimer’s
The Portsmouth News, 23rd March 2009
RUNNER UP Tom Shepherd
Justice for our cancer patients
Oxford Mail, 4th February 2009
Best freelance feature, sponsored by LighterLife:
WINNER Jane Feinmann
When A Trainee Surgeon Was Let Loose On This Little Girl
Daily Mail, 6th June 2009
RUNNER UP Susannah Hickling
Don’t Get Sick After Dark
Reader’s Digest, November 2007
THE 2009 SHORTLIST for the Guild of Health Writers’ Writing Awards, for excellence in health writing, has been announced.
The winners will be announced at a presentation at Chandos House,
Subjects that made it on to the shortlist ranged from surviving teenage cancer to the implications of saviour siblings and other aspects of fertility and IVF. Intriguing insights into the psychology of space exploration and the potential harm that popular talking therapies can cause also featured.
Ongoing concern about mobile phones and gas poisoning, were also among the topics covered by shortlisted health writers.
Topical headline-hitting features about swine flu and the effects of alcohol are also subjects of writers on the shortlist alongside ethical concerns about genetic engineering and nanotechnology.
Serious issues for the NHS such as targets to reduce GP referrals and A&E provision, plus the role of generic drugs, were to the fore along with contrasting highly personal stories by writers sharing their emotional experiences of health crises.
“Some subjects I had not seen written about before,” said one of the judges, GP, writer and broadcaster Dr Rob Hicks “and it is very brave of writers to share some of their personal health experiences.”
Regional campaigns for cancer drugs not approved by NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) and availability of treatment for Alzheimer’s patients also featured along with quirky, illuminating and wry features such as the health and safety issues of crocodile farming.
“I was particularly impressed by the work from the trade and specialist publications - it deserves a wider audience.” said judge Justine Hancock, editor of Good Health, Daily Mail.
A wide range of national and regional newspapers, consumer magazines, specialist publications and web sites are among the publishers of the shortlisted work including the Daily Mail; Telegraph and Independent.
“All the shortlisted national newspaper features were well written, informative and of practical value,” said Kathryn Bingham, editor at the NHS Choices website. “Some were also moving and powerful.”
Magazines which published work in the running for the best consumer magazine health feature were: Easy Living; Reader’s Digest; Candis; Boots Health and Beauty and Cosmopolitan.
“Journalists are especially keen to win a Guild Writing Award because they are judged by fellow professionals and experts,” said Paul Dinsdale, chair of the Guild of Health Writers.
AWARD SHORTLIST
Best national newspaper health feature sponsored by Vitabiotics:
Jerome Burne - Mobiles - Are We Being Told The Facts? Daily Mail
Best consumer magazine health feature sponsored by Spink:
Elizabeth Adlam - The Picture That Saved A Baby’s Life Reader’s Digest
Lilian Anekwe – Incentive to cut referrals Pulse
Best online health contribution sponsored by The Nutri Centre:
John Lister – The beginning of the end, Morning Star online
Colleen Shannon – What is the neonatal unit?, BabyCentre.co.uk
Fergus Walsh – Fergus on Flu
Ellen Widdup – Surviving teenage cancer,
Best regional newspaper health feature sponsored by Medtronic:
Liz Bestic – The healing power of horses East Anglian Daily Times
Best freelance feature chosen from the above, sponsored by LighterLife.
JUDGES
The Guild committee is very pleased to announce that Dr Michael Dixon has accepted its invitation to become the Guild’s new President. Dr Dixon is well-known in the health field, as chair of the NHS Alliance and as a GP with a stong interest in complementary medicine. He practises in Cullompton in Devon and has been involved in promoting ‘integrated medicine’ for some time. He runs a centre for integrated health at his practice. He is also medical director of the Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Medicine and has been a health adviser to Prince Charles. Dr Dixon said he was ‘delighted to accept the role as I have been a long-time admirer of the Guild’.
The Guild would like to express its thanks to its outgoing President, Dr Miriam Stoppard.
Congratulations go to Guild secretary Judy Hobson for her commendation at the annual Norwich Union/Medical Journalists Association awards last week.
Judy’s entry in the general medical consumer news category earned the judges’ praise for its “outstanding contribution to journalism”. The piece, headlined “Sight-saving op brings new hope” appeared in Yours magazine in July, and described a new operation for macular degeneration, an eye disease common in older people.
The judges said her entry was “a well-followed up story, focussing on a widespread disease in need of new treatments”.
The winner was Mark Henderson, science editor of The Times, for a story entitled: “Novel diabetes therapy paves way for personalised medicine.”
Well done, Judy!
There is an opportunity for young journalists to become part of a World Health Youth Communications Network to be set up by the World Health Organization. The network will be launched in Madrid later this month. They will also be considered for a paid visit to the World Health Organisation conference where the launch of the network will take place.
See The World Health Youth (WHY) Communication Network on environment and health to find out more.
Simon Crompton, Guild member and ex-Guild chair has won first prize in a prestigious cancer journalism award. Simon, who writes for The Times, has been awarded the European School of Oncology’s Best Cancer Reporter Award (BCRA) for 2008. The Award was established by the European School of Oncology (ESO) in 2006 to encourage better quality media coverage of cancer and to recognise the many examples of outstanding cancer journalism.
Read Simon Crompton’s award-winning articles in The Times:
Robotic surgery: the machine that cuts out cancer
The fast-track cancer cures
Read more about the European School of Oncology.
Read how health writers can support Guild Award winner Adrian Sudbury’s bone marrow appeal at Baldy’s Blog
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