Annabel Ferriman has been senior news editor of the BMJ since 1998. She read history at St Anne's College, Oxford, from 1966 to 1969, and started work as a reporter on the Hampstead and Highgate Express in 1970. She moved to the Times Higher Education Supplement in 1974, where she was first a reporter and then news editor. In 1977 she joined the Times as a general reporter, becoming health services correspondent in 1980. From the Times she moved to the Observer in 1982, where she was health correspondent for 10 years until 1992. During the six years subsequent years as a freelance writer, she wrote for numerous publications, including the Guardian, the Independent, the Daily Telegraph magazine, and Readers Digest. She also worked as press officer for the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture during 1997.

She lives in London with her husband, who is a doctor. Her two daughters are grown-up: one is a doctor and the other is a secondary school maths teacher.

Competing Interests

Have you in the past five years accepted the following from an organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of papers in the BMJ?

Reimbursement for attending a symposium?
No

A fee for speaking?
No

A fee for organising education?
No

Funds for research?
No

Funds for a member of staff?
No

Fees for consulting?
I received £1,000 from Shire Health International in 2002, for acting as a judge in a competition for journalists, writing on the topic of obesity. It was sponsored by Roche.

Have you in the past five years been employed by any organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of papers in the BMJ?
No

Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation?
I hold stocks and shares in a range of organisations, including Sainsbury's, M&S, National Grid, and Santander Bank, but I do not hold any stocks or shares in any pharmaceutical companies.

Do you have any other competing financial interests?
No

I have no competing interests/I have the following competing interests?
Awaiting Information.