Behind The Scenes
Our media work is not just about press releases. It involves building good relationships with key journalists, regularly briefing them on issues, and providing them with the information and material they need - when they need it. This work is aimed at ensuring that the coverage is fair and informed. But it's also aimed at influencing the press debate about health, to try and ensure it focuses on the whole picture. For example, a key objective has been to shift the press focus away from waiting times in isolation, and to look at the wider picture, especially chronic conditions.
This work is continuous, and much of it is behind the scenes. This section gives a flavour of what we've done recently
February - March 2007 - Smoking and health
We have been working closely with the BBC on their extensive coverage of smoking and related issues, in the run-up to the ban on smoking in public places from April 2nd. We have supplied them with briefing materials on the impact of smoking on the NHS, which they have used in their coverage. We have also pointed them to examples of good work from across Wales on smoking cessation, and treating smoking-related conditions.
Western Mail columns - Beecham, Reputation, and the prospects for 2007
We tackled all these subjects in our regular columns. World-class public services, as envisioned by Beecham, were possible, we argued. But only by keeping a clear focus on building a culture of partnership, and ensuring that we have first-class management. Another key challenge is to bring the reputation of the NHS into line with the reality, which is that the NHS generally delivers very good care. Patient satisfaction was very high, while public perceptions of the NHS was generally poorer - it was a gap that we needed to close by focusing much more clearly on cultivating that key asset: our reputation. In our final column of the year, we looked back at some of the achievements of 2006, notably the huge falls in waiting times, as well as looking forward to the major challenges that face us in 2007.
Why chronic conditions are the 21st century healthcare challenge - 29 December
We contributed to a feature in the Western Mail on this issue, which we have been publicising for some time. We provided key statistics to show the impact of chronic conditions, and argued that they had to be at the heart of health policy in Wales
Why outside experts are sometimes the best option - 23 December
We commented in a story in the Western Mail about the use of external consultants, pointing out that when specialist expertise is needed for short periods of time, it was sometimes better to bring this in from outside, rather than keep all these people permanently on the payroll
What's happening to our hospitals? - 11 December
To tie in with the launch of our report on this subject, written with the Board of Welsh CHCs, we worked with the Western Mail on a double-page feature. This included a wide range of examples of where the future is already happening, taken from the report, to fit in with the overall theme of "care closer to home". Examples included day surgery in Swansea, home-based neonatal screening in Powys, telemedicine in Ceredigion, and teledermatology in Cardiff
Why a parking free-for-all isn't always the best answer - 29 November
The BBC returned to this staple story again, asking why some hospitals charge for parking. We briefed their programme producers using information from members, which helped shape the coverage of the story. We pointed out that charges, where they are applied, are necessary to deter people from abusing parking spaces, and to help cover the considerable costs of maintaining a car park, which would otherwise have to come from patient care budgets.
BBC Wales Today - why changes are not cuts - 22 November
Changes proposed for Powys, as elsewhere, attracted opposition. We briefed the BBC for their coverage of this story, helping to ensure that their material also included footage of new services being delivered closer to home. We also gave an interview for Wales Today, arguing that we had to move away from a focus just on beds and buildings
How technology is already improving services for patients - 24 October
Working with BT and the BBC, we set up filming of the innovations already in use to help patients remain independent. To give a Wales-specific angle, we worked with colleagues in Swansea Trust and Ceredigion and Mid-Wales Trust to secure coverage of a telemedicine scheme, which allowed patients in Aberystwyth to be linked to experts in Swansea, reducing the need for travel. This material was shown on BBC Wales Today and Newyddion, radio packages were featured on Good Morning Wales and Post Cyntaf, and a feature and audio clip were used on BBC Online
BBC Me and My Health - 13 October
For the past couple of weeks we've been working closely with the BBC behind the scenes on the Me and My Health season, covering radio, TV and online output.
We've been giving briefings, key facts and suggested angles to programme producers who have asked us for input. We've also arranged filming for a Wales Today feature on how the future is already happening.
Articles we have written - or helped to shape - have been posted on the BBC news and features websites
Shift NHS focus from buildings
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/6034655.stm
What's happening to our hospitals?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/health/sites/features/pages/hospital_progress.shtml
How the NHS could look in 2015
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/health/sites/features/pages/nhs_2015.shtml
How the NHS in Wales works
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/health/sites/features/pages/how_nhs_works.shtml
Downgrading hospitals, or upgrading services? - 9 October
In our Western Mail column we challenged the doom-laden view that changes to services meant downgraded hospitals and more travel. We said that the focus had to be on services not buildings. The business of the NHS was caring for patients - hospitals were means to this end, not ends in themselves. The changes would mean less travel for most, and upgraded services for all.
Wales at Work - 6 October
Mike Ponton was interviewed for the BBC Wales at Work programme about our visit to Kaiser Permanente, and about lessons that the NHS can learn from other sectors and other countries
No to parking free-for-all - 21 September
The BMA called today for hospital parking charges to be scrapped. We argued that where charges were applied they were a means of preventing abuse and of financing car park running costs without having to raid patient care budgets. We also pointed out that trusts already offered free parking to many patients. Our comment and interviews were used on Wales Today and BBC Online: -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/5364516.stm
Regional reviews of acute services, 7 - 11 September
We provided advice and support on media and communications to the Mid and West Wales acute services review team. This culminated in the launch of their recommendations, which was covered widely in the press. In our comment we said that we have to “grasp the nettle” of change if we are to have 21st century acute services. The North Wales review also announced its recommendations around the same time. We provided similar comments in support, including an interview for BBC Wales Today
Commissioning - how can we get it right? 14th August 2006
Our opinion piece in the Western Mail summarised the key points of our new commissioning paper, and was aimed at highlighting to a wider audience the importance of commissioning.
Hospitals going digital, 12th August 2006
Cardiff and Vale announced that their X-rays would now be entirely digital, across all 9 hospitals run by the Trust. We spoke to BBC online to provide further briefing on this trend in general. We were quoted saying that "this is the way forward" and highlighting that changes like this mean "less travel, quicker diagnosis and better care" for the patient.
BBC health season - this autumn, 11th August 2006
The BBC is planning a wide range of health-themed activity in the autumn, including programmes and lots of on-line coverage. We met with them, together with other health organisations, to discuss ways in which we could support this. We have already offered them material such as stories, briefings and statistics, which their researchers and programme-makers can draw on, and we will be working with them further. Our aim is to ensure that the content reflects the key issues affecting health and healthcare in Wales today.
Why the future isn't just hospitals and beds, 29th July 2006
We commented on an opinion piece by a senior clinician, who raised concerns about bed numbers and questioned whether providing services in the community could really deliver. We said that the NHS is already delivering better and quicker care with fewer beds, and that whilst beds will always be needed, we must not think just in terms of beds. We also highlighted examples of where services were already being provided successfully closer to patients' homes
The crazy world of NHS productivity measures, 24th July 2006
In today's Western Mail we used our comment piece to show how the current measure of NHS productivity is seriously flawed. It ignores much of what the NHS does, misses the things that matter most to patients, and makes success look like failure
We worked closely with BBC Wales to develop their programmes for their health day. We briefed the journalists and programme producers, helping to ensure that their coverage picked out the key issues. Statistics that we supplied - on everything from chronic conditions to number of contacts with the NHS - were featured in the material, helping to set the scene for the audience.
The main theme was taking care closer to patients, and we supplied examples to illustrate this theme. Across radio and TV programmes throughout the day we secured coverage of:
- blood transfusions and chemotherapy in the community in Conwy and Denbighshire
- chronic disease management scheme in Swansea,
- day surgery in Powys
.