Pulse pitched against Mail on Sunday for health reporting award

Pulse’s editor Jaimie Kaffash will be going head to head with Mail on Sunday health editor Barney Calman for a health reporting award this autumn.

The Medical Journalists’ Association (MJA) has shortlisted the two editors based on their two separate GP campaigns launched last year: Pulse’s ‘Building a Better General Practice’ campaign; and Mail on Sunday’s campaign for all GP appointments to be conducted face to face.

Mr Calman’s nomination is based on an article series titled ‘What possible justification is there for GPs still refusing to see patients face-to-face?‘, on which the MJA said Mr Calman ‘got the balance right’.

The shortlisting statement said: ‘It’s the question everyone is asking and one of the most important for our post-pandemic NHS – why can’t patients see GPs?

‘The MoS health section launched a punchy campaign on the continuing problem totally in tune with readers’ concerns with a slew of distressing stories from them. Features and news stories showed how to run a popular campaign – with commitment and gusto.

‘There was a high quotient of comment but signposted and appropriate to the many talking points. The MoS entry package as a whole was focused, creative and often provocative, but for impact the GP access campaign stood out.

‘Editing means making judgments: about readers, about the questions to put to those in power and about what to make of the answers – and Calman got the balance right.’

Meanwhile, regarding Pulse’s campaign, the shortlisting statement read: ‘Giving us a positive light through which to view the prism of GP access, Pulse launched a new campaign for a better vision of the profession for GPs and patients.

‘The aim was to offer positive thinking driven by GPs and create a context in which their skills could be used to revive primary care through simple changes.

‘The constructive approach, a panel of GPs as a sounding board and GP surveys, led to a list of principles devised to make NHS leaders and ministers pay attention.

‘Acknowledging that GPs were losing the PR war, Pulse made a creative stab at tackling the negative messages in a manner designed to serve both readers and patients.’

Pulse reporter Caitlin Tilley is also shortlisted for an MJA award in the ‘newcomer of the year’ category, for her story titled ‘Taxi sent to GP practice after staff waited nine hours for ambulance‘.

In June, Mr Kaffash won Kaffash won ‘editor of the year (business media)’ at the prestigious PPA Awards. In the same month, Pulse’s deputy news editor Costanza Potter was awarded news reporter of the year at the BSME Talent Awards.