The Medical Journalists’ Association awards celebrate the best health reporting from the past year.
As I’m sure you all know, we recently announced the shortlist for 2026 but we wanted to take some time to dig into the categories and share with you why our independent judges selected these entries.
Our best news story categories provide the chance to highlight the exclusive reporting that uncovers a crisis or scandal, an investigation into regulation or inequity or perhaps details previously unknown figures.
Spread across specialist, broadcast and general news teams, the finalists for these three awards have held power to account, shone light in the dark and reported the reality for patients facing poor or delayed care.
A quick reminder – the finalists in our News Story (broadcast) category supported by Virgo are:
Rebecca Barry, Imogen Barrer, Phil Sime, Judith Weikala
Corridor Care Crisis
ITV News
Sarah Corker, Lottie Kilraine
DES – calls for public inquiry into hidden drug scandal
ITV National News
Matthew Hill, Dickon Hooper
Maternity
BBC Points West and Spotlight
Our judges said the finalists selected had shown “persistent investigative reporting” with work that had emphasised the “importance of patient dignity” and “failings in care”.
For News Story (general) – supported by FleishmanHillard our judges chose:
Martin Bagot
Crisis of Our Age
Daily Mirror
Nicola Davis and Sarah Marsh
Medicines watchdog to investigate UK peptide clinics over health claims
The Guardian
Hannah Devlin
UK IVF couples use legal loophole to rank embryos based on potential IQ, height and health
The Guardian
Shaun Lintern
Stop promoting natural birth ideology, midwife courses told
The Sunday Times
Rebecca Thomas
Rapist nurse allowed to work with vulnerable hospital patients for a year – despite police warning he was a suspect
The Independent
Our judges commented that finalists in this category had produced “solid”, “important”, “insightful” and “impressive” work that had raised key questions for policy makers and health officials.
MJA members also work across a wide range of specialist titles that include medical journals and trade or B2B press. With in-depth knowledge of their patch, they play a key role in breaking important stories on NHS services, regulation and Government policy.
The finalists in the News Story (specialist) category – supported by Medicines UK – showcase their dogged reporting:
Anna Colivicchi
How GPs are being told to limit NHS Health Checks
Pulse
Rebecca Coombes
Trust’s £40.5m overseas doctors training scheme is axed after audit raises red flags
The BMJ
Elisabeth Mahase
Mounjaro: Less than half of England has NHS access to jab months after roll-out, distressing patients and GPs
The BMJ
Emily Townsend and Alison Moore
Revealed: Urgent review ordered after deaths in fragile maternity services
Health Service Journal
Adele Waters
“Dangerously unsafe”: Doctor tribunal service’s handling of sexual misconduct cases condemned by victims and researcher
The BMJ
Our judges noted the finalists had produced “compelling” and “well put together” investigations uncovering “powerful” stories of previously hidden and sometimes systemic issues.
Have a watch or read through our judges selection for the shortlist. Who would you select as the winner?
If you’re a finalist or MJA member, make sure you have RSVP’d for our awards ceremony on 22nd September to secure your place.
