Comments on: Public relations: bad for our health http://heatherbrooke.org/2009/public-relations-bad-for-our-health/ Heather Brooke is an award-winning writer, journalist and activist Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:13:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jonathan http://heatherbrooke.org/2009/public-relations-bad-for-our-health/comment-page-1/#comment-2324 Jonathan Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:29:40 +0000 http://www.yrtk.org/?p=933#comment-2324 One of the huge problems of public sector press officers is that they are working for what some call a DRIP organisation. Data Rich Information Poor. Whoever thought up the star rating for NHS trusts should be shot. As long as the chief executive jobs rely on at least maintaining a star rating they will be falsified. As well as being far too broad a brush there is nothing to check their accuracy. I would like to see a 2 part rating. One for accuracy of data and the second for achievement. The CEO jobs should then be tied to the accuracy figure. Any trust claiming their figures were accurate would be subject to a random audit. Any trust not showing they were improving their accuracy should be subject to special measures. The government is so intent on micro management that budgets never have flexibility. There is no ability to "invest to save". The NHS never makes anyone redundant as the package would have to come from the local budget - which cannot afford it. One of the huge problems of public sector press officers is that they are working for what some call a DRIP organisation. Data Rich Information Poor. Whoever thought up the star rating for NHS trusts should be shot. As long as the chief executive jobs rely on at least maintaining a star rating they will be falsified. As well as being far too broad a brush there is nothing to check their accuracy. I would like to see a 2 part rating. One for accuracy of data and the second for achievement. The CEO jobs should then be tied to the accuracy figure. Any trust claiming their figures were accurate would be subject to a random audit. Any trust not showing they were improving their accuracy should be subject to special measures.

The government is so intent on micro management that budgets never have flexibility. There is no ability to “invest to save”. The NHS never makes anyone redundant as the package would have to come from the local budget – which cannot afford it.

]]> By: Sam http://heatherbrooke.org/2009/public-relations-bad-for-our-health/comment-page-1/#comment-2323 Sam Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:01:07 +0000 http://www.yrtk.org/?p=933#comment-2323 There big mistake was to cut services rather than waste. No amount of FOI will help now as the NHS is ready to crack this Winter. It’s hardly surprising ULHT last Chairman David Bowles ran off to Wales. No money for services but always plenty to employ more Trust Managers! My experience of ULHT is bullies from the top down from http://www.herpestreat.com There big mistake was to cut services rather than waste. No amount of FOI will help now as the NHS is ready to crack this Winter. It’s hardly surprising ULHT last Chairman David Bowles ran off to Wales. No money for services but always plenty to employ more Trust Managers! My experience of ULHT is bullies from the top down

from http://www.herpestreat.com

]]> By: tim garbutt http://heatherbrooke.org/2009/public-relations-bad-for-our-health/comment-page-1/#comment-2322 tim garbutt Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:36:33 +0000 http://www.yrtk.org/?p=933#comment-2322 As an advertising and PR professional I agree with the main post. The Dept of Health has it own PR and marketing peoople and contracts - and nothing wrong with that necessarily. But the COI handles main campaigns such as Swine Flu. Individual hopsitals and health trusts also have their specific local marketing programmes. The danger is that the DofH PR activity becomes empty puff-pieces on how wonderful the - monopoly - service is. Which is of noio use to anyone except the CV's of the DofH people. And possibly deeply misleading as with the outbreaks of disease in hospitals due to failures of cleaning. Providing raw information is key - and I'd go further in actually reducing FOI and PR staff by simply posting all reports etc online. I'd also urge requests to be made under EIR not FOI: no credible exemptions. Massive time and cost savings all round. And certainly better scrutiny and a better health service. Our local NHS in East Kent for example has been sat on data that shows the highest lung cancer rates in Kent. Tim Garbutt www.sincerityagency.com As an advertising and PR professional I agree with the main post.

The Dept of Health has it own PR and marketing peoople and contracts – and nothing wrong with that necessarily. But the COI handles main campaigns such as Swine Flu.

Individual hopsitals and health trusts also have their specific local marketing programmes.

The danger is that the DofH PR activity becomes empty puff-pieces on how wonderful the – monopoly – service is. Which is of noio use to anyone except the CV’s of the DofH people. And possibly deeply misleading as with the outbreaks of disease in hospitals due to failures of cleaning.

Providing raw information is key – and I’d go further in actually reducing FOI and PR staff by simply posting all reports etc online. I’d also urge requests to be made under EIR not FOI: no credible exemptions. Massive time and cost savings all round. And certainly better scrutiny and a better health service.

Our local NHS in East Kent for example has been sat on data that shows the highest lung cancer rates in Kent.

Tim Garbutt
http://www.sincerityagency.com

]]> By: dutch http://heatherbrooke.org/2009/public-relations-bad-for-our-health/comment-page-1/#comment-2321 dutch Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:02:32 +0000 http://www.yrtk.org/?p=933#comment-2321 Presumably this press officer number does include a fair number of people who focus on public health issues, responding to scare stories in the media etc. On the FOI -- are they bad at it? and if so, how bad - how many more people should they have devoted to FOI? Presumably this press officer number does include a fair number of people who focus on public health issues, responding to scare stories in the media etc. On the FOI — are they bad at it? and if so, how bad – how many more people should they have devoted to FOI?

]]> By: Linda http://heatherbrooke.org/2009/public-relations-bad-for-our-health/comment-page-1/#comment-2320 Linda Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:20:07 +0000 http://www.yrtk.org/?p=933#comment-2320 I only have experience in dealing with the United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust. Grantham Hospital A&E has had critical care level 3 taken away and most patients now have to travel at least one hour to the nearest fully equipped A&E at Lincoln. East Lincolnshire Ambulance was written to three times and only when a letter was taken by hand did we get to know the ambulance cover for Grantham and surrounding villages. It is one ambulance and a back up one at peek times. The Mayor of Grantham has now joined the fight to save the midwife led maternity unit at Grantham. ULHT would rather Mothers have there babies in the back of ambulances than give birth at Grantham Hospital. Also very sick people have no chance of surviving the hour long journey. In three years either by letter or in public meetings this trust acts like a secret society. I wonder if anyone is keeping track of the number of patients who do not even reach hospital and how many babies are born on the way? Is it a grey area that no one takes responsibility for? ULHT says it is hard for them to reach targets as Lincolnshire is very rural. Grantham is a large expanding market town maybe if they had left services in place they would have had a better chance of reaching targets. There big mistake was to cut services rather than waste. No amount of FOI will help now as the NHS is ready to crack this Winter. It's hardly surprising ULHT last Chairman David Bowles ran off to Wales. No money for services but always plenty to employ more Trust Managers! My experience of ULHT is bullies from the top down. David Bowles complains about being bullied by SHA but hospital staff say they were being bullied three years ago. He did precious little to help them! I only have experience in dealing with the United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust. Grantham Hospital A&E has had critical care level 3 taken away and most patients now have to travel at least one hour to the nearest fully equipped A&E at Lincoln. East Lincolnshire Ambulance was written to three times and only when a letter was taken by hand did we get to know the ambulance cover for Grantham and surrounding villages. It is one ambulance and a back up one at peek times. The Mayor of Grantham has now joined the fight to save the midwife led maternity unit at Grantham. ULHT would rather Mothers have there babies in the back of ambulances than give birth at Grantham Hospital. Also very sick people have no chance of surviving the hour long journey. In three years either by letter or in public meetings this trust acts like a secret society. I wonder if anyone is keeping track of the number of patients who do not even reach hospital and how many babies are born on the way? Is it a grey area that no one takes responsibility for? ULHT says it is hard for them to reach targets as Lincolnshire is very rural. Grantham is a large expanding market town maybe if they had left services in place they would have had a better chance of reaching targets. There big mistake was to cut services rather than waste. No amount of FOI will help now as the NHS is ready to crack this Winter. It’s hardly surprising ULHT last Chairman David Bowles ran off to Wales. No money for services but always plenty to employ more Trust Managers! My experience of ULHT is bullies from the top down. David Bowles complains about being bullied by SHA but hospital staff say they were being bullied three years ago. He did precious little to help them!

]]> By: Martin Rathfelder http://heatherbrooke.org/2009/public-relations-bad-for-our-health/comment-page-1/#comment-2319 Martin Rathfelder Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:12:16 +0000 http://www.yrtk.org/?p=933#comment-2319 Surely this budget includes things like the publicity for the swine flu advice? Surely this budget includes things like the publicity for the swine flu advice?

]]> By: amanda http://heatherbrooke.org/2009/public-relations-bad-for-our-health/comment-page-1/#comment-2318 amanda Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:50:44 +0000 http://www.yrtk.org/?p=933#comment-2318 The FOI shows that the Department of Health has increased the number of its press officers (telling us what they department wants us to know) from 26 in 2006/7 to 31 in 2008/9. The FOI shows that the Department of Health has increased the number of its press officers (telling us what they department wants us to know) from 26 in 2006/7 to 31 in 2008/9.

]]> By: dutch http://heatherbrooke.org/2009/public-relations-bad-for-our-health/comment-page-1/#comment-2317 dutch Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:18:14 +0000 http://www.yrtk.org/?p=933#comment-2317 What is the record of the NHS on FOI, and how many more people do you think they need? What is the record of the NHS on FOI, and how many more people do you think they need?

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