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Helen McArdle

@hmcardleht.bsky.social

1.2K followers 360 following 76 posts

Former health Correspondent at Herald. Specialist Reporter of the Year 2022, Scottish Press Awards. ❤️ cats, movies, podcasts

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Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Mar 27

Left journalism after 16 years in January to try sth new - wasn't an easy decision, so lovely surprise to be nominated for Specialist Reporter of the Year at the 2025 #ScottishPressAwards 😊❤️🍾

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Jan 20

At this rate, four years??

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Jan 19

Thanks Kenny!

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Jan 18

That's all folks! My last Saturday analysis column looks back on 16 years at @heraldscotland - what's changed, and the stories that stand out❤️

ANALYSIS What have I learned from 16 years in journalism?
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2485404...

Helen McArdle: What have I learned from 16 years in journalism?

After 16 years as a journalist at The Herald, including eight covering health, Helen McArdle reflects on that stories that stood out and what she's…

www.heraldscotland.com

Reposted by Helen McArdle

The Herald @heraldscotland.bsky.social · Jan 16

A tribute to David Lynch, who has died at the age of 78, written by @derekmcarthur.bsky.social in August when the legendary director confirmed he would never step foot on a set again

www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2450...

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Jan 15

My final #InsidetheNHS column looks at why the ambulance service has been urging out of hours GPs to "consider alternatives" to hospital treatment for patients
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2485283...

Why are out of hours GPs being told to keep patients away from hospital?

As out of hours GPs are encouraged to 'consider alternatives' to hospital admissions for patients as the NHS grapples with huge overcrowding, are…

www.heraldscotland.com

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Jan 15

'Wholly unacceptable'

EXC Breast cancer survivors 'in limbo' amid two-year wait for NHS reconstruction surgery

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2485177...

Breast cancer survivors 'in limbo' amid two-year wait for NHS reconstruction surgery

The delays came to light after Conservative MSP for Glasgow, Dr Sandesh Gulhane, raised the case of one of his constituents - Shareen Gault - in the…

www.heraldscotland.com

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Jan 15

Thanks! Glad to say it's my choice (off to try something different for a while) but end of an era for me, for sure

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Jan 15

📌Some personal news: Sad to say after more than 16 years, 8 covering health, today is my last day at
@heraldscotland.bsky.social and - for now - my last day as a journalist. It's been an absolute blast, so I'll simply sign off with one of my favourite stories👇
www.heraldscotland.com/news/1778288...

Scot on world-first asthma drug trial reveals how huge accidental overdose nearly killed him

RETIRED pharmacologist Dr Richard Marshall is surprisingly laidback as he recalls how a huge overdose of the then-untested asthma drug, salbutamol,…

www.heraldscotland.com

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Jan 11

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Jan 11

'It all starts with Covid'
This wk's Sat analysis on how Covid conspiracy theories planted the seeds for Jan 6 insurrection - and an appetite for medical misinfo 👇

ANALYSIS The surprising links between January 6, Covid denialism, and the 'wellness' boom
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2484027...

The surprising links between January 6, Covid denialism, and the 'wellness' boom

What are the links between the Covid pandemic, the January 6 insurrection, and the boom in health misinformation?

www.heraldscotland.com

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Jan 11

'It all starts with Covid'
This wk's Sat analysis on how Covid conspiracy theories planted the seeds for Jan 6 insurrection - and an appetite for medical misinfo 👇

ANALYSIS The surprising links between January 6, Covid denialism, and the 'wellness' boom
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2484027...

The surprising links between January 6, Covid denialism, and the 'wellness' boom

What are the links between the Covid pandemic, the January 6 insurrection, and the boom in health misinformation?

www.heraldscotland.com

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Jan 11

@heraldscotland.bsky.social

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Jan 11

'They know they have a problem on their hands because years of a regulatory vacuum has already allowed hundreds of salons around the country to pop up'

OPINION Dr Darren McKeown: Scot Govt cosmetic crackdown 'has all the trappings of political manoeuvring'
www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2483...

Scot Govt cosmetic crackdown 'has all the trappings of political manoeuvring'

Dr Darren McKeown, one of Scotland's leading practitioners of aesthetic medicine, fears that patient safety is not being prioritised enough in…

www.heraldscotland.com

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Jan 11

'They know they have a problem on their hands because years of a regulatory vacuum has already allowed hundreds of salons around the country to pop up'

OPINION Dr Darren McKeown: Scot Govt cosmetic crackdown 'has all the trappings of political manoeuvring'
www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2483...

Scot Govt cosmetic crackdown 'has all the trappings of political manoeuvring'

Dr Darren McKeown, one of Scotland's leading practitioners of aesthetic medicine, fears that patient safety is not being prioritised enough in…

www.heraldscotland.com

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Jan 11

Scot Govt proposals to tighten regulation around who can provide treatment like Botox and filler have been dubbed 'messy' and 'irrational' @heraldscotland.bsky.social

EXC Experts warn 'loopholes' in cosmetic crackdown will leave patients exposed to harm
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2484738...

Experts warn 'loopholes' in cosmetic crackdown will leave patients exposed to harm

The Scottish Government has published a consultation setting out proposals to tighten regulation on the cosmetic sector. But experts working in the…

www.heraldscotland.com

Reposted by Helen McArdle

The Herald @heraldscotland.bsky.social · Jan 10

The UK's first Safer Drug Consumption Facility opens in Glasgow on Monday.

Health correspondent @hmcardleht.bsky.social takes an in-depth look: heraldscotland.com/news/2484531...

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Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Jan 10

Visited the UK's first Safer Drug Consumption Facility yesterday ahead of its opening on Monday - full story here👇

"The reality is I think we're going to be busy really quickly."

A decade in the making - will Glasgow's drug consumption facility work?
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2484531...

A decade in the making - will Glasgow's drug consumption facility work?

As Glasgow's long-awaited Safer Drug Consumption Facility prepares to open its doors to the city's drug users on Monday, the Herald took a tour of…

www.heraldscotland.com

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Jan 9

Biomarker test for lung cancer cuts deaths by 40 per cent @heraldscotland.bsky.social
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2484121...

Biomarker test for lung cancer cuts deaths by 40 per cent

Groundbreaking research from the University of St Andrews School of Medicine has found that biomarker testing in individuals at risk of lung cancer…

www.heraldscotland.com

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Jan 8

This wk's #InsidetheNHS looks at why Glasgow's Hospital at Home closed, and why attempts to relaunch it are stalling @heraldscotland.bsky.social

The row over NHS Glasgow's Hospital at Home service
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2483928...

The row over NHS Glasgow's Hospital at Home service

NHS Glasgow planned to revamp its Hospital at Home service, but instead it has been mothballed with nothing to replace it - and a deadlock over…

www.heraldscotland.com

Reposted by Helen McArdle

The Herald @heraldscotland.bsky.social · Jan 8

The UK's first official consumption room for illegal drugs including heroin and cocaine is due to open in Glasgow this month

www.heraldscotland.com/news/2484029...

@hmcardleht.bsky.social

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Jan 2

💥Make it a HappyNY
Get @heraldscotland.bsky.social for £25 for the whole of 2025 - and catch up on in depth series like this one
heraldscotland.com/subscribe/ 👇

Skin Deep: Inside the Herald's investigation into Scotland's booming beauty industry
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2477701...

Skin Deep: Inside the Herald's investigation into Scotland's booming beauty industry

During a four-day series in August, the Herald investigated Scotland's rapidly growing cosmetic sector. Here we look back on some of the highlights.

www.heraldscotland.com

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Dec 29

New research makes the case - once again - for distributing GP spend by need to most deprived areas. I hear from one patient who benefitted
@heraldscotland.bsky.social

How can we close health inequalities? Invest in GP practices and grassroots schemes
www.heraldscotland.com/news/health/...

How can we close health inequalities? Invest in GP practices and grassroots schemes

New research in Glasgow into health inequalities has highlighted the need to invest a larger share of resources into GP practices and grassroots…

www.heraldscotland.com

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Dec 28

Paul has gone from being homeless, on the streets, using drugs and alcohol to becoming an athlete - thanks to the kindness of a stranger @heraldscotland.bsky.social

'Adult fostering' is transforming lives in Scotland - so why isn't it talked about?
www.heraldscotland.com/news/health/...

www.heraldscotland.com

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Dec 28

The last Sat analysis of 2024 takes a look at the complexities behind Scotland and England's waiting list divide @heraldscotland.bsky.social

ANALYSIS Was the NHS in Scotland right not to prioritise patients with the longest waits?
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2481875...

www.heraldscotland.com

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Dec 27

They're not calling it an 'extraordinary' flu season for nothing - unusually high rates of infection right now, already worse than in 2022/23

Scotland hit by worst flu season in years as hospital admissions surge 65 per cent
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2482092...

Helen McArdle @hmcardleht.bsky.social · Dec 26

Right now, get @heraldscotland.bsky.social for the next 13 months for £25 - perfect chance to catch up with in-depth series like this one👇
www.heraldscotland.com/subscribe

Scotland and Alcohol: How the Herald investigated our relationship with booze
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2477699...

Scotland and Alcohol: How the Herald investigated our relationship with booze

We take a look back at the Herald's second impact series, exploring Scotland's relationship with alcohol. Why did we do it and what did we learn?

www.heraldscotland.com