The HealthSense annual award is presented to someone who has made significant steps either in medical research or in improving the public’s understanding of health issues by clarifying complicated and often misunderstood medical matters for the general public.
Since the 1997 award, the text of the lecture is available in our archives – just click on the name of the recipient of the award to read. And since 2020, all presentations are available on the HealthSense YouTube channel.
We also present a series of awards to students of medicine and nursing and allied professions. Information about the HealthSense Student Prize and past winners is in the student section of the website.
2023 Dr Till Bruckner and Dr Nicholas DeVito: Another World is Possible
Watch the presentation in full.
2022 Dame Sally Davies: From laboratory to United Nations: everyone’s role in tackling AMR
Read Dame Sally's lecture, or watch her presentation in full.
2021 Prof Christina Pagel: Covid-19 Data — What's the Story?
Read Prof Pagel's lecture, or watch her presentation in full.
2021 30th Anniversary Award David Spiegelhalter: Trustworthy communication of risk and evidence: the battle against naughty numbers in the news
Read Prof Spiegelhalter's lecture, or watch his presentation in full.
2020 Jennifer Rogers: Can’t see the wood for the trees? Making sense of data during a global pandemic
Read Prof Rogers' lecture, or watch her presentation in full.
2019 Faye Kirkland: Shining a light on areas of medicine that journalists – and patients – might not see
Read Dr Kirkland's lecture.
2018 Sarah Wollaston MP: From GP to MP: How to Lose Friends but try to Influence People
Read Dr Wollaston's lecture.
2017 Deborah Cohen: Poking your nose in where it's not wanted - the dark side of investigating healthcare
Read Dr Cohen's lecture.
2016 Peter Gøtzsche: Why is it controversial to tell the truth about health care?
Read Dr Gøtzsche's lecture.
2015 Mark Porter: Why evidence matters
Read Dr Porter's lecture.
2014 Simon Singh: fighting for truth in science
2013 Fiona Godlee, Editor-in-Chief, BMJ, for outstanding leadership in the pursuit of medical truth
Read Dr Godlees's lecture.
2012 Tim Harford on behalf of the BBC More or Less team for their clear, honest and entertaining way of educating the public about the meaning of numbers
Read Tim Harford's lecture.
2011 Brian Deer: for contributing to the public’s understanding of health issues
Read Brian Deer's lecture.
2010 David Colquhoun: for his determined exposure of improbable science
Read Prof Colquhoun's lecture.
2009 Iain Chalmers: for his critical contribution to EBM
2008 Margaret McCartney: for her promotion of evidence-based medicine in general practice
Read Dr McCartney's lecture.
2007 Raymond Tallis: for his thoughtful promotion of evidence-based medicine
Read Prof Tallis' lecture.
2006 Ben Goldacre: for exposure of bad science
Dr Goldacre's lecture is not available.
2005 Edzard Ernst: for his honest appraisal of CAM
Read Prof Ernst's lecture.
2004 Richard Smith: for championing the independence of Medical Journalism
Read Dr Smith's Lecture.
2003 Peter Wilmshurst: for his courage in challenging misconduct in academic medical research
Read Dr Wilmshurst's lecture.
2002 Michael Baum: for criticising Department of Health information on benefits of breast screening
Read Prof Baum's lecture.
2001 Claire Rayner: for her dedication to the public’s right to quality healthcare
2000 John Diamond: for his courageous and rational approach to therapies for his own illness
Read John Diamond's lecture.
1999 Bernard Dixon: for his skill in presenting scientific arguments comprehensibly to the public
Read Dr Dixon's lecture.
1998 Polly Toynbee: for her critical and informative reporting on healthcare matters
Read Polly Toynbee's lecture.
1997 Annabel Ferrriman: for her excellent medical journalism despite the stresses of that profession
1996 Sir Richard Doll: for his outstanding leadership over 50 years in clinical epidemiology
1995 David Sackett: for his pioneering work in support of evidence-based medicine
1994 Petr Skrabanek, awarded posthumously: for his critical analysis of both conventional and complementary therapies
Awarded posthumously.
1993 Geoff Watts: for his excellent understanding and accuracy when reporting issues of healthcare
Read Geoff Watts' lecture.