Independent correspondent wins top journalism award.

The Independent's health correspondent Rebecca Thomas has been named health journalist of the year at the Press Awards 2025.

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Ms Thomas's work exposed the case of an autistic man who had been trapped in dementia care units and hospital wards for 10 years, a "culture of fear" that allowed nurses to abuse their patients, and a scandal that involved the sexual assault of patients within NHS mental health trusts.

Judges praised her "forensic research" and "impressive track record in effecting change for both vulnerable people and the public at large". Ms Thomas's work "empowers those who would otherwise be ignored" and "sheds a light on abuse and neglect by those in positions of power at some of our most trusted institutions", the judges said.