Communicating an institution: exciting times ahead for NHS communicators

Freshwater’s Chris Knights and Amy Wallace reflect on 70 years of the NHS, and what the future holds for communicators working in the health sector.

On July 5, 1948 the NHS was established by health Minister Aneurin Bevan with the aim of providing healthcare services free at the point of delivery. Since then, the NHS has changed drastically to keep up with the ever-changing needs of the population it serves.

Over the past 70 years, the NHS has touched the lives of millions of individuals across the UK, transforming their health, wellbeing and quality of life. In that time, it’s seen innovations in the form of the discovery of DNA structure, the birth of the first test-tube baby, the introduction of MRI scans and the use of a robotic arm during operations, to name but a few.

As well as embracing new treatments and innovations, the NHS enters its seventh decade having taken significant steps to ensure its sustainability. The introduction of devolved health spending in Manchester and the national roll-out of integrated care systems and sustainability and transformation partnerships, represent recent shifts designed to make the NHS fit for purpose long-term.

These initiatives were met with varying degrees of support from stakeholders, which comes as no surprise. As we know from our work with NHS organisations, when introducing any major change communication is key. The way in which an organisation shapes the narrative and structures engagement work has major implications for the success of any project designed to transform how people work in, or use, services.

As far as narrative is concerned, the NHS – while far from perfect – does have a great story to tell. The key of course, is telling it well. One look at the #NHS70 hashtag on Twitter reminds us of just how much we have to be proud of, and how many lives the NHS has touched.

With the need to stay abreast of emerging technologies like AI and blockchain, counter fake news, manage more channels than ever before and act as custodians of one of our most-treasured brands, exciting things are afoot for anyone working in NHS communications. We can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Freshwater’s healthcare team has decades of experience advising the NHS and health and social care organisations facing major change on how to engage their audience, manage reputation and create impact.