Every man, woman and child in the UK is entitled to free health care, which makes each and every one of us an NHS stakeholder.  That’s a lot of people to keep happy, and with rising public expectations, a brand new constitution and an endless stream of policy guidance to comply with, the NHS at 60 faces more communications challenges than ever.

The NHS has always had a statutory duty to engage with and consult its stakeholders, but the quantity and quality of stakeholder communication that is expected increases with every passing year. Each NHS organisation faces its own unique challenges in this respect.  Primary care trusts are grappling with the huge cultural changes that they will need to put in place to become World Class Commissioners.  NHS providers are fighting to enlist membership from their local communities and secure their place in the newly competitive NHS market.  And strategic health authorities face a huge task in supporting their regions to ensure that all the promises made as a result of the Next Stage Review are kept. With all these local difficulties, it’s no surprise that national arms-length NHS bodies can find it difficult to have their voices heard in conducting their R&D, regulatory or co-ordination roles. Freshwater’s specialist team has been providing communication advice and support to organisations around the UK working in and for the NHS for nearly two decades.  With clients ranging from the Department of Health, SHAs, PCTs and trusts to deaneries, private hospitals and all manner of health and medical organisations in the private, voluntary and charitable sectors, you could say we know our stuff.And that’s important, because when you’re under pressure you don’t have time to waste on lengthy briefings.  What you need is someone who knows consultation guidelines (from Carruthers to the Cabinet Office Code) like the back of their hand.  Someone who understands the role of governance structures in establishing a Foundation Trust.  Someone who can tell you that two major national quangos are merging before you read about it in the newspapers.  Someone to hit the ground running, steer you away from making mistakes and to rely on us as an extension of your own team.

Coupled with regional and local our the ground knowledge so we understand the community you’re working in, our stakeholder communications services can provide the solution you're looking for.