Journalists who excel in helping readers understand the complex fields of health and healthcare finance have received major awards for their work.
Journalists who excel in helping readers understand the complex fields of health and healthcare finance have received major awards for their work.
The two top Ł1500 prizes in the 2000 Norwich Union Healthcare/Medical Journalists' Association Medical Journalism Awards have been won by Julian O'Halloran for a documentary on BBC Radio's File on 4, and Jennifer Irwin for a feature in Money Management.
Other winners and entrants came from a wide range of media, including national press and radio, financial trade and consumer press, regional newspapers and specialist publications.
There are two categories for the awards - now in their ninth year - covering general medical journalism, and financing healthcare.
BBC journalist Julian O'Halloran won first prize in the General Medical Journalism section for his investigative report into the sometimes tragic consequences of the shortage of senior doctors in some of our hospitals. The report was broadcast on BBC Radio 4's current affairs documentary programme, File on 4.
A thought-provoking piece on genetics, exploring the debate over the potential use by insurance companies of genetic testing, won first prize in the Financing Healthcare category for Jennifer Irwin of Money Management.
Tony Boorman, principle Ombudsman for the Financial Ombudsman Service was chairman of the judging panel for Financing Healthcare. He said "How best to fund the NHS and care for the elderly, how to get good value private medical care, and the impact of genetics on medical insurance are all topics which have been the subject of intense public debate this year.
"Given this level of public interest in financing healthcare the range and quality of the entrants was not surprising - but it did make the task of selecting our award winners particularly difficult"
The other prizes and certificates were:
Financing Healthcare
| 2nd prize (Ł750): | Robert Budden for a feature in Financial Times |
| 3rd prize (Ł350): | Helen Nugent for a feature in The Times |
| Young Entrant Award (Ł250): | Iona Bower for a feature in Employee Benefits |
| Special Commendation: | Samantha Barrett for a feature on thestreet.co.uk |
| Commendations: | Harvey Jones for a feature in the Daily Express |
| Catherine Tennant for a feature in Cover | |
| Edmund Tirbutt for a feature in Financial Mail on Sunday |
General Medical Journalism
| 2nd prize (Ł750): | Dr Claire Ainsworth for a feature in New Scientist |
| 3rd prize (Ł350): | Dr Tom Smith for a feature in the Glasgow Herald |
| Young Entrant Award (Ł250): | Neil Hallows for a feature in BMA News Review |
| Special Commendation (Ł200): | Wendy Moore for a feature in Observer Magazine |
| Commendations: | Michael Day for a feature in New Scientist |
| Celia Hall for a feature in the Daily Telegraph | |
| Dr Helen Phillips for a feature in New Scientist |
The awards were presented at the Royal Society of Medicine in London on November 23 by Tim Baker, commercial director of Norwich Union Healthcare.
Media contacts:
Louise Zucchi, Norwich Union Press Office, 01603 684506
Val Arnison, Norwich Union Healthcare, 01993 813545
Philip Paul, awards organiser, 01424 812487
Notes to Editors:
Norwich Union Healthcare was founded in 1990 as the healthcare arm of Norwich Union and now provides a range of income protection and private medical insurance products to around 600,000 customers. It is one of the largest providers of income protection and private medical insurance in the UK.