The Right Story, The Right Journalist: Navigating the UK Health Tech Media Landscape

One of the questions I am asked most often by health tech companies is: "Which journalists should we be talking to?"

It is a sensible question. After all, media coverage can help raise awareness, build credibility, support sales conversations, attract investment and position your organisation as a trusted voice within healthcare.

However, there is no single list of journalists that guarantees success.

The UK health and technology media landscape is surprisingly diverse. Some journalists focus on NHS policy and operational performance. Others specialise in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, cyber security, primary care or patient safety. National newspapers often want stories with broad public interest, while specialist trade titles are more interested in the detail and lessons for healthcare organisations.

Understanding who covers what is important. Just as important is understanding that the same story may appeal to different journalists for entirely different reasons.

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. There are many excellent healthcare, technology and public sector journalists across the UK. However, if you work in health tech, digital health or NHS transformation, these are some of the publications and journalists worth knowing.

Health Service Journal (HSJ)

If your audience includes NHS executives, integrated care boards, trust leaders or policymakers, HSJ should be at the top of your reading list.

For many senior NHS leaders, HSJ remains the most influential healthcare publication in the country. Its reporting regularly shapes discussions around policy, operational performance, transformation and service delivery.

Journalists such as Henry Anderson, Dave West and Annabelle Collins regularly cover issues affecting NHS organisations, including digital transformation, productivity, workforce pressures and service redesign.

HSJ is rarely interested in product launches. Instead, it looks for evidence of impact. If your technology has helped reduce waiting lists, improve patient safety, increase productivity or support major transformation programmes, HSJ may be interested.

Digital Health

While the digital health media landscape has evolved significantly over the past decade, Digital Health remains one of the most important specialist publications covering NHS technology.

Journalists including Tammy Lovell, Cora Lydon and Jordan Sollof cover electronic patient records, shared care records, interoperability, artificial intelligence, cyber security, NHS procurement and digital transformation programmes.

The publication is particularly valuable for reaching NHS CIOs, CCIOs, digital teams and supplier organisations.

Digital Health readers tend to be interested in implementation, outcomes, lessons learned and practical challenges rather than marketing messages.

BBC Health and Technology

The BBC remains one of the most powerful media organisations in the UK and can offer unparalleled reach.

Health Editor Hugh Pym and Health Correspondent Nick Triggle regularly cover NHS policy, patient safety, healthcare innovation and major healthcare challenges.

On the technology side, Zoe Kleinman is one of the UK's most recognisable technology journalists and frequently covers artificial intelligence, cyber security and major digital developments affecting public services.

The BBC's threshold for coverage is understandably high. Stories usually need national significance, strong patient impact or broad public interest.

The Telegraph

The Telegraph has become increasingly influential in healthcare reporting and frequently covers NHS reform, innovation and health policy.

Laura Donnelly is one of the most respected health journalists in the country and regularly writes about NHS performance, waiting lists, workforce challenges and healthcare innovation.

Paul Nuki, Global Health Security Editor, covers a broad range of healthcare issues, including technology, public health and international healthcare developments.

For organisations working on major healthcare challenges, The Telegraph can be a highly valuable outlet.

The Sunday Times

The Sunday Times remains one of the UK's most influential newspapers and frequently publishes healthcare investigations and in-depth features.

Shaun Lintern has built a strong reputation for insightful reporting on NHS performance, patient safety and healthcare policy.

The publication tends to favour stories supported by strong evidence, compelling case studies and clear relevance to patients or taxpayers.

The Guardian

Health Editor Andrew Gregory and Health Policy Editor Denis Campbell have been covering the NHS for many years and remains one of the most influential voices in healthcare journalism.

The Guardian often focuses on healthcare inequalities, patient experience, workforce challenges and policy issues.

Stories demonstrating measurable improvements in care, access or outcomes can perform particularly well.

Pulse

If your solution operates in primary care, Pulse is essential reading.

Pulse is widely read by GPs and regularly covers general practice, prescribing, workforce challenges, NHS policy and digital innovation.

Stories around medicines optimisation, prescribing safety, population health and primary care transformation are often a natural fit.

Many suppliers overlook Pulse, despite the fact that it reaches exactly the audience many health tech companies are trying to engage.

Computer Weekly

Another publication that is often neglected by healthcare suppliers is Computer Weekly.

The title covers technology strategy, cyber security, data management, artificial intelligence and digital transformation across multiple sectors, including healthcare.

For businesses operating in data, analytics, cyber security or infrastructure, it can provide access to both technology and healthcare audiences.

UKTN

For startups, scale-ups and innovative technology businesses, UKTN is worth following closely.

The publication covers investment, innovation, technology growth and emerging businesses across the UK.

Health tech companies raising investment, expanding internationally or developing cutting-edge technologies may find UKTN particularly relevant.

Health Tech World

Health Tech World has developed a strong reputation as an international publication focused specifically on healthcare innovation and technology.

The title covers digital health, AI, diagnostics, medical devices and healthcare transformation, making it particularly useful for companies with international ambitions.

Regional Media Still Matters

Many health tech companies focus exclusively on national and trade media.

That can be a mistake.

Some of the most successful campaigns I have worked on have included regional BBC, ITV and local newspaper coverage alongside national trade coverage.

A local NHS success story can often generate strong engagement from patients, clinicians, local leaders and healthcare stakeholders.

Never underestimate the value of regional media, particularly when a project is delivering tangible benefits within a specific community.

The Biggest Mistake Health Tech Companies Make

The biggest mistake I see is companies pitching products rather than stories.

Journalists are not looking for software.

They are looking for evidence, outcomes and impact.

They want to know how waiting lists were reduced. How patient outcomes improved. How clinicians saved time. How medication errors were prevented. How health inequalities were addressed.

The technology is usually the enabler, not the headline.

A remote monitoring platform is not a story.

Reducing hospital admissions by 50% might be!

An AI tool is not a story.

Helping clinicians identify patients at risk earlier could be.

Why Specialist Healthcare PR Matters

This is why effective healthcare PR is about far more than maintaining a media database.

The real value lies in understanding the healthcare landscape, recognising what makes a story newsworthy and matching the right story to the right publication.

A story about antibiotic stewardship may be perfect for Pulse. A major NHS transformation programme might be better suited to HSJ. A breakthrough innovation could attract interest from The Telegraph, BBC or technology media.

The journalist matters.

The publication matters.

But the story matters most.

Get that right, and the opportunities tend to follow.