As 2025 draws to a close, I wanted to thank you for being part of what has been another busy, challenging and rewarding year for the Medical Journalists’ Association.
As we head into Christmas, I’m very conscious that for many of you this isn’t really a “wind-down” at all. While some will (quite rightly) be switching off and taking a proper break, others will be working right through, dealing with the flu surge, winter pressures, and the inevitable glut of health stories that arrive precisely when newsrooms are thinnest on the ground. Health journalism doesn’t pause for Christmas.
Wherever you fall on that spectrum, I hope you’re able to find at least some space to reset. Even a few quiet days can be a chance to step back from the daily churn, reflect on what’s working, and rethink how you approach your beat. The landscape we operate in is shifting fast – politically, technologically and culturally – and going into 2026 with fresh eyes, clearer priorities and perhaps a slightly revised strategy will stand us all in good stead.
On the MJA front, it’s been a year to be proud of. Our annual lecture with Sir Jim Mackey, NHS England chief executive, sparked exactly the kind of informed, candid discussion we want the MJA to be known for, and generated headlines well beyond the room.
Our Symposium with the Health Foundation, delivered in partnership with Doctors’ Association UK, brought members together to grapple with some of the hardest questions around health inequalities, policy and journalism.And of course, the MJA Awards once again showcased the depth, range and quality of health and medical science journalism being produced across the UK.
Beyond our own events, 2025 has been a huge year for UK health and the NHS. A new government has set out ambitious plans for reform in the 10-year-plan for the NHS as well as all the familiar pressures around waiting times, workforce shortages, patient safety and strikes by resident doctors. But there have been great leaps forward in areas such as genomics and the dawn of weight loss drugs. Misinformation, culture wars and political spin have continued to complicate the job of clear, accurate health reporting and I know the work our members do every day to explain, scrutinise and hold power to account has mattered to patients and the public.
Looking ahead, there’s plenty to be excited about at the MJA. We’re already planning the next Annual Lecture, with a speaker we’re confident will be a major draw – look for the big reveal in the New Year. We’re also working on changes to the MJA website, aiming to make it more useful, more informative and more relevant to your daily working lives. Alongside this, the executive committee is developing new offers and benefits for members, focused on access, insight and opportunities that genuinely add value.
If you have ideas about what you want to see from the MJA please do get in touch via our admin email and you never know, we might just make it work.
I want to end by thanking the MJA committee as well as all our speakers, partners, supporters and of course our members for the work you do and the standards you uphold.
Whether you’re filing copy over Christmas or lucky enough to be properly switching off, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a healthy, successful New Year. I look forward to seeing many of you in 2026.
With best wishes,
Shaun Lintern
Chair, Medical Journalists’ Association