Fergus Walsh (born 1961 in Leicester[1]) has been the BBC's medical correspondent since 2006. He has won several awards for medical journalism, and has been commended for his work in making important health topics more understandable to the public.
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Walsh was brought up in Buckinghamshire by his Irish parents, who emigrated in the 1950s. His father, Michael, who worked as a baker[2], died after an accident in May 2010.[3] His Mother, Ita, is also deceased.
He attended the Royal Grammar School, in High Wycombe, and graduated from Leeds University with a degree in English Literature in 1983.
Walsh completed a post-graduate course in Broadcast Journalism at University College Falmouth, in Cornwall.[4] He has said that until beginning the course he had 'no burning ambition' to become a journalist, but that afterwards he 'Couldn't wait to be a reporter'.
Walsh worked as a freelance journalist during the 1980s, in Oxford, Nottingham, Norfolk and Bristol, and (for one day) Derby. He began working for the BBC in 1984, as a radio reporter on home and legal affairs. He has said that what attracted him to the role was 'the immediacy of radio…discovering and reporting on events as they happen'. His first national report was for Radio 4 News, on the subject of a mass trespass by members of CND.[5] In 1990, he moved to television and worked briefly as political, diplomatic and education correspondent.
Walsh has been the BBC's medical Correspondent since 2006. He appears mainly on the BBC's 6PM and 10PM News and across the News Channel. He can also be heard on BBC Radio 4's Today programme and BBC Radio 5 Live.
In June 2007, he was one of a number of medical journalists who gave evidence to Parliament[6] as part of the scrutiny of the Human Tissue and Embryos Bill. Much of his evidence related to the degree of public acceptance of activities such as gender-selection of children, and gene therapy.
In 2009, he started a blog called Fergus On Flu, which examined the H1N1 swine flu pandemic. In June 2010, this was re-launched as Fergus's Medical Files, [7] which covers medical and health issues.
Also in 2009, Walsh appeared as himself, in 'A Short Stay in Switzerland', a 90-minute BBC TV dramatisation of the events leading up to the death by assisted suicide of Dr Anne Turner. [8]
In late 2010, he presented an appeal on behalf of LEPRA, a charity which seeks to prevent and treat Lymphatic Filariasis.[9]
When describing how he approached stories on sometimes sensitive topics, Walsh argued that 'To avoid scaring people, the script is crucial - it has to be balanced. I want to look back, six months from now, and not cringe at our stories'. He has also said that in general, 'You have to keep a certain emotional distance from the events in front of you; otherwise it would be impossible to report objectively. You can care deeply about whom or what you are covering, but you must not let your feelings cloud your judgement or prevent you from being an independent observer. On controversial topics, you have to play devil's advocate and ask people direct and often difficult questions'. [10]
He has won five broadcasting awards from the Medical Journalists' Association.[5]
In December 2009, he received an honorary degree, a Doctorate of Civil Law (DCL) from Newcastle University. His citation stated that Walsh 'has done more than any other journalist to facilitate public comprehension of the most challenging health issues of our times.'[5]
Walsh has an eight-year old son, Hugo, and two daughters, Charlotte and Saskia. His wife, Veronique, is a former GP and now works in the pharmaceutical industry. [5] He has said that he plays tennis, badly.[11]