HealthWatch's 30th birthday event will take place in-person and also live-streamed for remote viewing, on Tuesday July 27th 2021.

Our special guest speaker – our 2021 joint award winner – is David Spiegelhalter who holds the Winton Professorship of the Public Understanding of Risk, at the University of Cambridge, England. His controversial theme: “Trustworthy communication of risk and evidence: the battle against naughty numbers in the news.”

Please join us for a very special night in our history to hear how one of the world’s leading statisticians sees the figures that will help, for good or ill, to shape our destiny.

The live (in-person) event is open to all, including members of the public, is free to attend but entry is strictly ticket-only. Because numbers are limited to 80 guests, please apply for tickets via our Eventbrite page. Tickets will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Start-time: 18:30 for 19:00 start, on Tuesday 27th July 2021. 

Light refreshments will be provided. 

Tickets from: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/naughty-numbers-in-the-news-tickets-158441644223

Venue: The Medical Society of London, Lettsom House, Chandos St, London W1G 9EB

Disabled access: the event is to be on the first floor, reached via a flight of stairs. The Medical Society of London is a grade II listed building and as such, we regret to advise, there is no lift.

And if you cannot attend in person:

• The event will be live-streamed. Register to watch the live-stream here. There will be no cost for joining the event online.
• A recording of the event will be uploaded shortly afterwards on the HealthWatch YouTube channel (subscribe now and check out our past events). 

Any questions? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Read the latest issue of the HealthWatch Newsletter online now!

Our latest issue features four original articles as well as news about our charity's mission to promote evidence and integrity in health care.

The HealthWatch Newsletter remains free to view, download and share. HealthWatch members will shortly receive their personal printed copy of the newsletter if they have opted to do so. Links to the full newsletter and individual articles are below, or access a printable pdf format here.

Inside Newsletter 115

Published May 2021

• NEWS Whistleblower spends over a decade pursuing a retraction; success on concerns over counselling research; webinars and articles; and a new competition
• NUTRITION Should we fight Covid-19 with fermented foods … or not? David Bender explains
• PSYCHIATRY Allen Frances on the growing problem of antidepressant overprescription
• RESEARCH INTEGRITY The dark side of biomedical research illuminated by Geoff Webb
• DENTISTRY Does your child really need orthodontics? Keith Isaacson says sometimes, they really do

We thank the contributors of this latest issue. Find past issues here. If you'd like to write for upcoming issues of the HealthWatch Newsletter, find out more here.

Join us by becoming a member of HealthWatch and a supporter of science and integrity in healthcare.

Read the latest issue of the HealthWatch Newsletter online now!

New for 2021: we have given the HealthWatch Newsletter an updated format, with individual articles fully readable and searchable online. This latest issue features seven original articles - including brave exclusives from new contributors - as well as news about our charity's mission to promote evidence and integrity in health care.

The HealthWatch Newsletter remains free to view, download and share. HealthWatch members will shortly receive their personal printed copy of the newsletter if they have opted to do so. Links to the full newsletter and individual articles are below, or access a printable pdf format here.

Inside Newsletter 114

Published January 2021

• NEWS  Transparency campaign success; challenging the Charities Commission; breast cancer surgery advance; "Pseudoscience kills"; a new sponsor for the HealthWatch Student Prize; and much more
• INVESTIGATION  The case for a register of doctors' interests: Simon Peck shares his shocking findings in the private healthcare sector
• HEALTHWATCH AWARDWINNER 2020 Bringing stats to the masses: Jennifer Rogers explains how to make sense of data during a global pandemic
• REPORT FROM HEALTHWATCH'S CHAIR  HealthWatch Chair Susan Bewley sums up 2020
• PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENTS  Caroline Struthers' devastating commentary takes the case of ME treatments to explain why it is not only drugs and devices that can harm
• STUDENTS How Matthew Choy scooped the top prize in last year's HealthWatch Student Prize competition, with some brilliant runner-up entries
• NUTRITION  The trouble with nutrition research, by David Bender
• LAST WORD  Caroline Richmond on how Lily the Pink and Dr Crippen made their secret remedies, and a century-old war on quackery

We thank the contributors of this latest issue. Find past issues here. If you'd like to write for upcoming issues of the HealthWatch Newsletter, find out more here.

Join us by becoming a member of HealthWatch and a supporter of science and integrity in healthcare.

The 2021 HealthWatch student prize competition for critical appraisal of clinical research protocols is open! Since 2002, HealthWatch has presented more than £20,000 in prizes, and this year it could be your turn to win up to £500. Starting now… you have four months to write, refine and perfect your entry, but don't leave it until the last minute!

Cash prizes

There are two first prizes of £500 each, one for medical and dental students and one for students of nursing, midwifery and professions allied to medicine. Up to five runner-up prizes of £100 will be awarded in each category. Winners will be invited to attend the HealthWatch Annual General Meeting in October to receive their prizes. If for any reason large gatherings or travel are restricted, the AGM may be held virtually, in which case prize-winners will be invited to attend remotely.

Winners can also add to their CV the honour of having received a national award — which could give the edge in a competitive post-Covid jobs market.

We are extremely grateful to the Royal College of Surgeons of England for their generous sponsorship of this year's competition.

How to enter

The competition consists of four hypothetical research protocols: your task is to rank the protocols in order from that most likely to provide a reliable answer to the stated aims of the trial to that least likely to do so. You then have to explain your ranking in no more than 600 words.

Please share with your fellow students, organisations, colleges, universities.

Your entry must be received by 23:59 BST on Friday 30 April 2021. Entries received after that time will not be considered. Find out more and enter here. The full terms and conditions, with the competition protocols for you to read, can be found here. 

Free student membership

Whether you enter the competition or not, if you are a full-time student, please consider taking advantage of our offer of free Student Membership of HealthWatch.