Independent Correspondent Rebecca Thomas has been named the Health Journalist of the Year at the Press Awards 2025.
Ms. Thomas’s work exposed an autistic person’s case, which was trapped in Dementia Care Units and A&E ward for 10 yearsA “culture of fear” that allowed Nurse To misuse your patients and A Sexual harassment scam Patients NHS Mental health trust,
The judges praised the impressive track records in their “forensic research” and “impressive track records with large scale impacts for both the weak people and the public.
Ms. Thomas’s job “empowers people who will be ignored otherwise”, and “some of our most trusted institutions highlight the misconduct and neglect by those in power positions”, the judges said.
Ms. Thomas said: “I am very respected and humble to receive this award, thanks to brave patients and sources, who came forward and for Indie Editors who helped me share their stories.”
It comes after Ms. Thomas Won at British Journalism Awards In December 2024 in the health and life science category.
Ms. Thomas too Medical Journalists Association (MJA) won Mental health story of the year for 18 months check in sexual abuse in NHS hospitals.
About 20,000 reports of rape and sexual harassment of patients were made in half of NHS mental health trusts. It was exposed by Independent A joint investigation and in association with Sky News in Podcast.
The investigation inspired former victims of former victims Dame Vera Baird to describe NHS’s misuse as “national scam”, in which Wes Streeting called it a “Wake-up call” to the government, while he was a shadow health secretary. The rape crisis England and Wales called for a public investigation.
Ms. Thomas was also nominated Keep an eye on Paul Foot Award for investigative and publicity journalism for this investigation earlier this year. Private Eye said her “DOGED campaign highlighted systemic patient safety scams within the UK’s sick mental health system”.
Meanwhile, he investigated the case of an autistic person trapped in dementia and A&E wards, where he faced misbehavior by nurses over a period of 10 years.
Ms. Thomas’s reporting helped to leave the man after years of getting trapped in mental health institutions. He has gone to his house and has now gained the power of speech.
Ms. Thomas won the Health and Life Sciences category at the British Journalism Awards in the first 2022 when she was recognized for the “revelation of the crisis” coverage in the A&E units.