Communications and engagement specialists for the health and care sector
Freshwater Healthcare supports health and care sector clients to improve people’s health and achieve the best patient experience and outcomes.
We enable patients, carers, staff and stakeholders to be involved in, and contribute to, improving their healthcare, the NHS and the health of their communities.
We enhance and extend our clients’ capabilities to build and sustain mutually beneficial and valued relationships with all their audiences – patients, staff, carers, communities, organisations, regulators, policy makers and decision makers.
Our experience in the health and care sector
Freshwater has more than three decades of experience in designing and delivering NHS, healthcare and public sector communications, engagement and strategy programmes.
This includes a combination of direct in-house experience, long-term secondments, boots-on-the-ground support during times of transformative change, and working with health and care organisations across the country as their go-to integrated agency.
We’ve worked with hundreds of health and care organisations including NHS Trusts, NHS Integrated Care Boards, NHS England, NHS Wales, Welsh Health Boards, Charities, Medical Royal Colleges, Professional Associations, Medical Schools, Research and Academic Institutions, Health Technology and Manufacturing companies, Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare Campaigns, and private health and care organisations.
Along the way, we work with patients, families, nurses, therapists, doctors, surgeons, scientists, healthcare staff researchers, managers, volunteers, campaigners, fundraisers, journalists, planners, councillors, MPs, civil servants, and ministers.
Communications leadership
We embed leaders with senior and Board-level experience to drive improvements within communications and engagement teams. Our bank of expert communicators each have more 20 years’ experience and a wide range of skills and expertise including crisis and issues management, training and development, stakeholder engagement, and senior leadership.
Find out more about our healthcare expert advisers panel.
Other ways we can help:
Branding and creative design: Our branding experts and creative designers can ensure your current brand stands out from the crowd and marketing materials are reflective of your organisation and its values.
Digital: Our digital experts can help identify, reach and engage your audiences via online channels to ensure the your messages are heard.
Website design: Our web development team design and create high-performing websites to demonstrate your brand values and engage your target audiences.
Social media management: We can help free up your team and turn your social media presence into an effective marketing tool. We’re also adept at creating strategies to engage your teams in the social output – to raise profile, and drive engagements and reach of your content.
Our client support programmes
We have six clear client support programmes (CSPs) designed to support health and care organisations to achieve their strategic objectives and deliver operational plans. They are all designed with a deep understanding of patients, health and care staff experience and what it takes to deliver high quality health and care outcomes in a heavily scrutinised, regulated and politicised environment.
Our CSPs form the building blocks of a tailored programme designed to meet your needs, timetable and budget. They are provided by our experts with years of experience and a track record of delivery. CSPs can be combined and flexed in any combination to suit your specific requirements and Freshwater can deploy its teams to start any project as soon as it’s commissioned.
Fresh Eyes Audit
An external review of the effectiveness of communications
Strategic Readiness
Aligning organisational and communications strategies and behaviours
Operational Fitness
Ensuring communications activity engages intended audiences
Prepared & Resilient
Getting prepared for a crisis
Engaging Relationships
Delivering effective and compliant engagement and consultation programmes with all audiences
Key Messages & Narrative
Clarifying the story, narrative and messaging