Emma Wilkinson
@emmajourno.bsky.social
Freelance journalist writing about medicine/health/biosciences. Bylines in BMJ, Pulse, Pharmaceutical Journal, Sunday Times, Lancet, BBC and more. Co-founder Freelancing for Journalists. Often found running up Sheffield hills.
Pinned
Emma Wilkinson
@emmajourno.bsky.social
· Mar 24
PRESALE: Ultra Women by Lily Canter and Emma Wilkinson (ISBN: 9781914487101)
PRESALE. Book will be published on May 8th 2025. Buy it now and receive before publication. Books will be sent about two weeks from publication day (May 8th 2025).
When it comes to the toughest races ...
www.canburypress.com
ULTRA WOMEN: The trailblazers defying sexism in sport will be published by Canbury Press in May (available to pre-order now). 'A masterful work that will challenge your views on the physical capabilities of all women' – Sue Anstiss, author www.canburypress.com/collections/...
'Around 70% of children living in poverty have at least one parent in work.' www.cnn.com/2025/11/24/u...
Britain is one of the world’s richest countries. So why do a third of its children live in poverty? | CNN
Child poverty has reached a record high in the United Kingdom as the country’s cost of living soars and its social security safety net falters following years of government austerity.
www.cnn.com
November 24, 2025 at 12:57 PM
'Around 70% of children living in poverty have at least one parent in work.' www.cnn.com/2025/11/24/u...
Reposted by Emma Wilkinson
We just wanted to flag up our Black Friday Sale. You can get 30% off annual subscription to the Freelancing for Journalists newsletter before Dec 5th.
That’s just £28 for the whole year. You can also gift it to a friend for Christmas🎄
freelancingforjournalists.substack.com/subscribe?co...
That’s just £28 for the whole year. You can also gift it to a friend for Christmas🎄
freelancingforjournalists.substack.com/subscribe?co...
Subscribe to Freelancing for Journalists
Lifting the lid on freelance life. Click to read Freelancing for Journalists, a Substack publication with thousands of subscribers.
freelancingforjournalists.substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:29 AM
We just wanted to flag up our Black Friday Sale. You can get 30% off annual subscription to the Freelancing for Journalists newsletter before Dec 5th.
That’s just £28 for the whole year. You can also gift it to a friend for Christmas🎄
freelancingforjournalists.substack.com/subscribe?co...
That’s just £28 for the whole year. You can also gift it to a friend for Christmas🎄
freelancingforjournalists.substack.com/subscribe?co...
Imagine if adults fidgeted in the same way as children. Here’s where the 10yo absentmindedly ended up while telling me about the laser quest party he’d just been to. Literally climbing the walls (cabinets).
November 23, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Imagine if adults fidgeted in the same way as children. Here’s where the 10yo absentmindedly ended up while telling me about the laser quest party he’d just been to. Literally climbing the walls (cabinets).
Reposted by Emma Wilkinson
This should be a much, much bigger story than it is playing as so far. Is it the 'Wales' bit that's distracting? Just because it's a devolved administration is hardly the point. This is a corrupt operator that Reform embraced.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reform UK’s former Wales leader jailed for taking bribes for pro-Russia speeches
Police say Nathan Gill received at least £40,000 while he was an MEP from Oleg Voloshyn, an alleged Russian asset
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:46 PM
This should be a much, much bigger story than it is playing as so far. Is it the 'Wales' bit that's distracting? Just because it's a devolved administration is hardly the point. This is a corrupt operator that Reform embraced.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
This piece has stirred up a lot of debate. There is clearly much work to do in oversight of how trusts are treating their locally employed doctors, the contracts they are on and training offered. Here’s a rapid response from the @rcphysicians.bsky.social www.rcp.ac.uk/news-and-med...
November 22, 2025 at 1:11 PM
This piece has stirred up a lot of debate. There is clearly much work to do in oversight of how trusts are treating their locally employed doctors, the contracts they are on and training offered. Here’s a rapid response from the @rcphysicians.bsky.social www.rcp.ac.uk/news-and-med...
Reposted by Emma Wilkinson
4/ Meanwhile, an expose in the BMJ brought the experiences of these locally-employed doctors, in short-term, non-standard "gig economy" contracts, into sharp focus.
You can read that one here:
www.bmj.com/content/391/...
You can read that one here:
www.bmj.com/content/391/...
Revealed: Thousands of NHS doctors are trapped in insecure “gig economy” contracts
Thousands of locally employed doctors—many of them international graduates and from ethnic minorities—are trapped in insecure NHS contracts with no access to training, career progression, or national ...
www.bmj.com
November 22, 2025 at 8:22 AM
4/ Meanwhile, an expose in the BMJ brought the experiences of these locally-employed doctors, in short-term, non-standard "gig economy" contracts, into sharp focus.
You can read that one here:
www.bmj.com/content/391/...
You can read that one here:
www.bmj.com/content/391/...
As a health journalist I often come across scams/grifts where there has been a complete failure of regulation. This is magnitudes above that.
This might be one of the most disturbing pieces I’ve ever read. Staggering investigative work from Sirin Kale and Lucy Osbourne www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...
Influencers made millions pushing ‘wild’ births – now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world
A year-long investigation reveals how mothers lost children after being radicalised by uplifting podcast tales of births without midwives or doctors
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 12:16 PM
As a health journalist I often come across scams/grifts where there has been a complete failure of regulation. This is magnitudes above that.
Reposted by Emma Wilkinson
Anyone who's read me ranting about screening will know I'm all for thinking critically about health care. But there's a reason maternal mortality has more than halved in the last 40 years. There's a reason maternal mortality is used as a proxy for health care quality globally.
Influencers made millions pushing ‘wild’ births – now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world
Influencers made millions pushing ‘wild’ births – now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world
A year-long investigation reveals how mothers lost children after being radicalised by uplifting podcast tales of births without midwives or doctors
As Esau Lopez was asphyxiated for the first 17 minutes of his life on Earth, the atmosphere in the room remained serene, even ecstatic. Acoustic music crooned from a speaker in a modest two-bedroom apartment in a suburb of Pennsylvania. “You are a queen,” murmured one of three friends in the room.
Only Esau’s mother, Gabrielle Lopez, felt something was wrong. She was pushing hard, but her son would not be born. “Can you help [him] out?” she asked, as Esau crowned. “Baby is coming,” the friend replied. Four minutes later, Lopez asked again, “Can you grab [him]?” Another friend murmured, “Baby is safe.” Six minutes passed. Again, Lopez asked, “Can you grab [him]?” Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Anyone who's read me ranting about screening will know I'm all for thinking critically about health care. But there's a reason maternal mortality has more than halved in the last 40 years. There's a reason maternal mortality is used as a proxy for health care quality globally.
Reposted by Emma Wilkinson
1/ The medical workforce and the #SASsix, a Saturday morning thread...
The eagle-eyed among you may have spotted two related publications relating to workforce this week. Taken together, they paint a stark picture of the current medical workforce.
The eagle-eyed among you may have spotted two related publications relating to workforce this week. Taken together, they paint a stark picture of the current medical workforce.
November 22, 2025 at 8:22 AM
1/ The medical workforce and the #SASsix, a Saturday morning thread...
The eagle-eyed among you may have spotted two related publications relating to workforce this week. Taken together, they paint a stark picture of the current medical workforce.
The eagle-eyed among you may have spotted two related publications relating to workforce this week. Taken together, they paint a stark picture of the current medical workforce.
This might be one of the most disturbing pieces I’ve ever read. Staggering investigative work from Sirin Kale and Lucy Osbourne www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...
Influencers made millions pushing ‘wild’ births – now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world
A year-long investigation reveals how mothers lost children after being radicalised by uplifting podcast tales of births without midwives or doctors
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 8:07 AM
This might be one of the most disturbing pieces I’ve ever read. Staggering investigative work from Sirin Kale and Lucy Osbourne www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...
Reposted by Emma Wilkinson
BMJ finds that thousands of locally employed doctors are being ‘exploited’ by NHS Trusts using contracts that deny them training, progression and nationally agreed benefits. Many of these doctors are international graduates and from ethnic minorities
www.bmj.com/content/391/...
www.bmj.com/content/391/...
Revealed: Thousands of NHS doctors are trapped in insecure “gig economy” contracts
Thousands of locally employed doctors—many of them international graduates and from ethnic minorities—are trapped in insecure NHS contracts with no access to training, career progression, or national ...
www.bmj.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:31 AM
BMJ finds that thousands of locally employed doctors are being ‘exploited’ by NHS Trusts using contracts that deny them training, progression and nationally agreed benefits. Many of these doctors are international graduates and from ethnic minorities
www.bmj.com/content/391/...
www.bmj.com/content/391/...
Reposted by Emma Wilkinson
A new #BMJInvestigation finds that thousands of locally employed doctors are trapped in insecure NHS contracts with no access to training, career progression, or national safeguards.
Experts warn that the NHS is effectively “behaving like a gig economy employer”
www.bmj.com/content/391/...
Experts warn that the NHS is effectively “behaving like a gig economy employer”
www.bmj.com/content/391/...
November 20, 2025 at 12:18 PM
A new #BMJInvestigation finds that thousands of locally employed doctors are trapped in insecure NHS contracts with no access to training, career progression, or national safeguards.
Experts warn that the NHS is effectively “behaving like a gig economy employer”
www.bmj.com/content/391/...
Experts warn that the NHS is effectively “behaving like a gig economy employer”
www.bmj.com/content/391/...
Reposted by Emma Wilkinson
Fascinating and disconcerting. That person standing in front of you in hospital saying "I'm one of the doctors" may have a wildly different experience of working in the NHS, depending on a labyrinth of inconsistent contract terms.
I spoke to doctors across England for this @bmj.com investigation. Senior medics leading services and training others but stuck on insecure contracts. Others with no supervision, training or progression - just filling rota gaps. Many egs of poor practice from NHS trusts. www.bmj.com/content/391/...
Revealed: Thousands of NHS doctors are trapped in insecure “gig economy” contracts
Thousands of locally employed doctors—many of them international graduates and from ethnic minorities—are trapped in insecure NHS contracts with no access to training, career progression, or national ...
www.bmj.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Fascinating and disconcerting. That person standing in front of you in hospital saying "I'm one of the doctors" may have a wildly different experience of working in the NHS, depending on a labyrinth of inconsistent contract terms.
I spoke to doctors across England for this @bmj.com investigation. Senior medics leading services and training others but stuck on insecure contracts. Others with no supervision, training or progression - just filling rota gaps. Many egs of poor practice from NHS trusts. www.bmj.com/content/391/...
Revealed: Thousands of NHS doctors are trapped in insecure “gig economy” contracts
Thousands of locally employed doctors—many of them international graduates and from ethnic minorities—are trapped in insecure NHS contracts with no access to training, career progression, or national ...
www.bmj.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:58 AM
I spoke to doctors across England for this @bmj.com investigation. Senior medics leading services and training others but stuck on insecure contracts. Others with no supervision, training or progression - just filling rota gaps. Many egs of poor practice from NHS trusts. www.bmj.com/content/391/...
Reposted by Emma Wilkinson
Ultra-processed food linked to harm in every major human organ, study finds. By MJA member @andrewgregory.com www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Ultra-processed food linked to harm in every major human organ, study finds
World’s largest scientific review warns consumption of UPFs poses seismic threat to global health and wellbeing
www.theguardian.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Ultra-processed food linked to harm in every major human organ, study finds. By MJA member @andrewgregory.com www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Reposted by Emma Wilkinson
📚 | 2025 Shortlist
@lilycanter.bsky.social and @emmajourno.bsky.social: Ultra Women
"Shedding light on why female athletes are outperforming men in endurance events, despite the obstacles put in their way." — WHSBOTY 2025 Reading Panel
Check out our full shortlist here ⬇️
@lilycanter.bsky.social and @emmajourno.bsky.social: Ultra Women
"Shedding light on why female athletes are outperforming men in endurance events, despite the obstacles put in their way." — WHSBOTY 2025 Reading Panel
Check out our full shortlist here ⬇️
November 19, 2025 at 10:15 AM
📚 | 2025 Shortlist
@lilycanter.bsky.social and @emmajourno.bsky.social: Ultra Women
"Shedding light on why female athletes are outperforming men in endurance events, despite the obstacles put in their way." — WHSBOTY 2025 Reading Panel
Check out our full shortlist here ⬇️
@lilycanter.bsky.social and @emmajourno.bsky.social: Ultra Women
"Shedding light on why female athletes are outperforming men in endurance events, despite the obstacles put in their way." — WHSBOTY 2025 Reading Panel
Check out our full shortlist here ⬇️
Having listened to @standardissueuk.bsky.social for a long time, it was really genuinely exciting to go on and chat about Ultra Women open.spotify.com/episode/0mg4...
Ultra Women with Emma Wilkinson and Lily Canter
open.spotify.com
November 18, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Having listened to @standardissueuk.bsky.social for a long time, it was really genuinely exciting to go on and chat about Ultra Women open.spotify.com/episode/0mg4...
This cloudfare thing (said like I have any clue what it is) is a bit of a pain. Various websites I need bits of information from down.... www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Cloudflare outage causes error messages across the internet
US company that defends millions of websites against malicious attacks suffers unidentified problem
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:25 PM
This cloudfare thing (said like I have any clue what it is) is a bit of a pain. Various websites I need bits of information from down.... www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Emma Wilkinson
Warning NHS could become ‘overwhelmed’ amid rise in emergency cases, by MJA member @ellapickover.bsky.social www.independent.co.uk/news/health/...
Warning NHS could become ‘overwhelmed’ amid rise in emergency cases
Charity said there are now ‘regular’ winter crises due to ‘dismal’ delivery of routine care for patients
www.independent.co.uk
November 18, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Warning NHS could become ‘overwhelmed’ amid rise in emergency cases, by MJA member @ellapickover.bsky.social www.independent.co.uk/news/health/...
Reposted by Emma Wilkinson
Hundreds of hospice beds unused amid financial crisis, writes MJA member Hugh Pym
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Hundreds of hospice beds unused amid financial crisis
Some 380 hospice beds lie empty in England because of financial pressures, say bosses.
www.bbc.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Hundreds of hospice beds unused amid financial crisis, writes MJA member Hugh Pym
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Appears to be a scam going round of people getting calls (maybe texts) from their GP practice saying they're going to be taken off the list and needing to provide personal details. Wondering how widespread this is. GPs on here - have you had to alert patients to this? #medsky
November 18, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Appears to be a scam going round of people getting calls (maybe texts) from their GP practice saying they're going to be taken off the list and needing to provide personal details. Wondering how widespread this is. GPs on here - have you had to alert patients to this? #medsky
You know how you're sort of hanging on to life chaos by the tips of your fingers and it is a simple bit of admin that sends you over the edge.... Earlier this month I had to park outside @sheffieldchildrens.bsky.social (in a parking bay for this purpose), as my son was having an asthma attack.
November 17, 2025 at 11:36 AM
You know how you're sort of hanging on to life chaos by the tips of your fingers and it is a simple bit of admin that sends you over the edge.... Earlier this month I had to park outside @sheffieldchildrens.bsky.social (in a parking bay for this purpose), as my son was having an asthma attack.
Reposted by Emma Wilkinson
Wes Streeting accused of ‘chaotic and incoherent approach’ to NHS reform www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Wes Streeting accused of ‘chaotic and incoherent approach’ to NHS reform
Exclusive: thinktank report finds health secretary has failed to improve productivity and the health service is unlikely to meet its targets
www.theguardian.com
November 16, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Wes Streeting accused of ‘chaotic and incoherent approach’ to NHS reform www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Emma Wilkinson
Jaw-dropping update about our leasehold investigation detailing the lengths to which my colleague @djstimms.bsky.social has gone to track down Andrew Milne.
Particularly enjoyed the fact that colleagues from Liverpool and London were also involved. Mill Media is now more than the sum of its parts.
Particularly enjoyed the fact that colleagues from Liverpool and London were also involved. Mill Media is now more than the sum of its parts.
Horrified, Becky read Milne’s words. “I accordingly am entitled to vacant possession of the property”, he asserted. “I am writing to give you 7 days notice that I will have a locksmith and agent attend to recover possession for me and change the locks”.
Latest update in our Andrew Milne story 👇
Latest update in our Andrew Milne story 👇
After Becky’s mum died, it was time to sell her childhood home. Then Andrew Milne got in touch
Plus: As the search for answers continues, The Tribune takes to the road
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk
November 16, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Jaw-dropping update about our leasehold investigation detailing the lengths to which my colleague @djstimms.bsky.social has gone to track down Andrew Milne.
Particularly enjoyed the fact that colleagues from Liverpool and London were also involved. Mill Media is now more than the sum of its parts.
Particularly enjoyed the fact that colleagues from Liverpool and London were also involved. Mill Media is now more than the sum of its parts.
You know that thing where the kid designs a Christmas card at school and then you buy it to raise money for the PTA - can’t wait to send this beauty to some ageing relatives. Yes that’s right it’s Santa blasting through the wall (cos some people don’t have chimneys) with a penguin…
November 16, 2025 at 7:35 PM
You know that thing where the kid designs a Christmas card at school and then you buy it to raise money for the PTA - can’t wait to send this beauty to some ageing relatives. Yes that’s right it’s Santa blasting through the wall (cos some people don’t have chimneys) with a penguin…