Healthcare PR experts underline key role for comms in NHS reforms

Experts from a number of leading healthcare PR agencies have welcomed a new government-commission report calling for a new approach to NHS communications.

Conservative peer and former Marks and Spencer boss Lord Rose recently examined recruitment, talent development and leadership trends in the NHS, with the resulting review making a number of recommendations for change.

Two of the most prominent suggestions were for a service-wide NHS comms strategy to convey relevant news, information and best practice to staff and organisations, as well as for the creation and distribution of a handbook summarising NHS core values.

Speaking to PRWeek, a number of comms professionals have endorsed these ideas. For example, Bill Morgan, a founding partner of policy and comms firm Incisive Health, said this could help raise general awareness of the values set out in the NHS Constitution.

Meanwhile, Geoff Potter, co-lead of a new NHS engagement and comms team at Instinctif Partners, said this may help address the need for a stronger vision and embedded culture to drive the staff engagement needed to help the health service push through crucial reforms.

Finally, MHP's managing director Gillian Tong added: "With true staff engagement, it could be a groundbreaking approach to driving and aligning communication across a uniquely complex and deeply federal organisation."