Rebecca Thomas
The Independent
Rebecca’s dogged pursuit of the truth has led to the overhaul of one of Europe’s largest healthcare regulators, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
Simultaneously, her reporting in the mental health sphere has prompted a national inquiry and has led to her becoming the go-to national journalist for patients and whistleblowing staff across the sector.
Serious failings in the NMC - Rebecca’s reports on sexual assault prompted contact from a whistleblower within the NMC. Over several months of painstaking investigation, Rebecca published a series of reports which prompted the NMC to launch two independent inquiries.
The initial investigations and a series of follow-ups led to more contact with staff prepared to blow the whistle. A series of articles exposed serious failings and problems within the NMC, which it had previously kept out of the public eye.
Rebecca’s continued and ongoing focus gave her unparalleled access to whistleblowers who wanted to share information in the public interest, including the leaked findings of the first independent inquiry.
As a result of Rebecca’s reports, the NMC has committed to a major overhaul of its regulation and culture. For example, it has already changed its rules on how it deals with sexual assault and domestic violence allegations. Rebecca has been the only national journalist to provide such consistent and unwavering focus on the NMC.
Trapped in a mental health unit, until he could tell his story - Nicholas Thornton, 28, is autistic and has learning disabilities. But for more than a decade he was trapped in a succession of mental health units across the country, including dementia care units and padded rooms. Rebecca was able to tell his story in a powerful in-depth report and accompanying video, which have shone a light on a systemic issue that affects thousands across the country – but is rarely discussed.
The challenges of this reporting cannot be underestimated – Rebecca had to gain the trust of Nicholas and his family, as well as staff whistleblowers, to tell his story. Nicholas had become non-verbal and could communicate only by typing on a laptop from his bed in a darkened room, but through sensitive, patient interviewing, Rebecca was able to tell his story in his words. Since her report, which took more than six months to compile, Nicholas has finally moved into his own home and has regained the power of speech after several years.
Exposing sexual assault within the NHS - Rebecca collaborated with Sky News to reveal shocking levels of sexual abuse within the mental health system, for a hard-hitting report and accompanying podcast series.
The investigation involved tracking down hard-to-find patients, encouraging them to share their stories, and meticulously verifying details.
Following the investigation, ministers ordered a national mental health inquiry, that had already been prompted by Rebecca’s reporting, to include a focus on sexual.