On Wednesday evening Murray Anderson-Wallace was commended by the Medical Journalists Association (MJA) for his film “Beth’s Story”.   Murray was one of three finalists for the MJA Winter Awards in the investigative reporting / broadcast category and was up against stiff competition from Fergus Walsh (BBC News Health Correspondent) and  Matthew Hill (BBC Points West Health Correspondent), who was the eventual winner.

The category was judged by Branwen Jeffreys (BBC News), Nick Timmins (Financial Times and former MJA Health Journalist of the Year) and Andy Coghlan (New Scientist).

On commending the Murray’s work the judges said “This is a harrowing 15 minute face to camera account of a relatively routine operation that went terribly wrong – narrated by Bethany’s mother Clare Bowen – and of how appallingly the NHS and the coroner’s system dealt with the consequences.  Give that there is only one voice and no balancing one from the hospital or medics involved you could question whether this is a piece of campaigning rather than of pure journalism.  But either way it is a remarkable piece of film by Murray Anderson-Wallace. We’d urge you to see it.  It is immensely powerful and lives on in the memory long after viewing”

Murray said of the commendation  “We are delighted to have been commended by the MJA.  This film is first and foremost, a testament to the courage and determination of the Bowen family and in particular to Clare Bowen, Beth’s mum who continues to use her families tragic experience to create constructive cultural change – she is an inspiration.  I am also indebted to my colleague Roland Denning with whom I made this film.  The quality of his film-making – a hallmark of all our work together -was commented on by the judges and deserves due credit”

Beth’s Story can be viewed at no direct cost to the user via www.patientstories.org.uk