1. Chris Lines Director of Communications NPHS/Wales Centre for Health
Communication Strategies (with users/stakeholders): their importance to specialist public health practice
Chris Lines
Director of Communications
NPHS/Wales Centre for Health

2. Curriculum vitae 20 years in public relations
Private, public and voluntary sectors
With NPHS since 2005

3. Presentation Communication strategy Corporate communications
Internal communications
Stakeholder communications
Public communications
Case study: childhood leukaemia in North Wales

4. Communications Understanding Two way process Perceptions and reality
Action and words

5. Communication strategy
What are the objectives?
What are the issues?
Who are the audiences?
What are the audience perceptions?
Who are the communicators?
What are the messages?
What are the best communication tools?

6. Corporate communications
Structural context
Political and media contexts
Very little public understanding of corporate roles and responsibilities
Difficulty in establishing internal and stakeholder understanding

7. NPHS corporate challenges
750 staff on 40+ sites
From different organisations
Teams embedded in Local Health Boards and NHS Trusts
Partnership working
Variety of specialisms – niches
No statutory responsibilities
Service not a health authority

8. Service culture Compare with consultancy
Not just doing what ‘customer’ wants
Help meet the ‘customer’s’ needs
Requires ‘customer’ confidence
Requires service and communications excellence

9. Internal communications
Identification with the organisation
Understanding the organisation
Making all the connections internally
Representing the NPHS consistently
Communication of the same messages

10. Strategic response internally
Intranet
e-bulletin
Information Exchange – Regional Forums
National Forum
Staff Conference
Director’s Diary
Corporate identity

11. Stakeholder communications
Stakeholders or partners
Range of stakeholders
Tensions between stakeholders
Understanding of the role
Everything in partnership
Invisibility of NPHS
Recognition of contribution

12. Strategic response externally
Internal communications strategy
Web site
Stakeholder e-news
Stakeholder conferences
Liaison meetings
Public health leadership and contributions

13. Public communications
Different publics
Engagement or communication
Reactive
Systematic or ad hoc
Complex subject
Different communicators
Confusing and mixed messages

14. Strategic response publicly
Engage staff, stakeholders and partners
Engage and understand public
Credible communicators
Credible and consistent messages
Proactive
Systematic

15. Childhood leukaemia in North Wales
Fears of raised levels of childhood cancer in Menai Straits resulting from Sellafield radiation
Fears raised by:
Green Audit
Alun Ffred Jones AM
Y Byd ar Bedwar

16. Health response
Analysis of data by Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (WCISU)
Report by National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHS) for Gwynedd and Anglesey LHBs

17. Government response
Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) asked to review :
Green Audit paper
WCISU paper
NPHS paper

18. Interested organisations
WCISU
NPHS Wales
Gwynedd LHB
Anglesey LHBs
COMARE
WAG
NRPB
HPA
Environment Agency
British Nuclear Fuels
Local Authorities
GPs

19. Report findings
“There was no evidence to link the diseases with nuclear discharges” (WCISU)
“There is no evidence of an increase in retinoblastoma or in tumours of the brain and spine in the Menai Straits area.” (NPHS)

20. COMARE findings
The pattern of diseases in the studies does not suggest a connection with man-made radiation
The analysis and methodology adopted by WCISU was appropriate
The interpretation of the WCISU study by the NPHS was appropriate

21. COMARE findings
“The Green Audit analyses have several significant weaknesses and cannot be regarded as reliable”

22. Communication issues Radiation Sellafield Cancer
Scientific validity of small area figures
Morass of authority and expertise
Family and community needs for an explanation

23. Public Health message
There is no evidence to link the diseases with nuclear discharges

24. Communication opportunities
Get the message across to reassure the public
Lead the agenda

25. Communications threats
No categorical guarantees
Spin
Media sensationalism
Pressure Group activism
Political hijack ahead of a General Election

26. Communications strategy
Reassure the public
Get the facts on the record
Set the agenda
Be independent and authoritative
Reduce opposition opportunities

27. Communications plan Jointly agree plan Jointly agree statement and Q&A
Use single spokesperson
Quick timeline for correct notification
Focus on briefing time
Wider distribution by post and
Web site

28. Statement, letters and Q&A
Partner perspectives
Working with scientists
Complicated issues
9 drafts!

29. Timeline for notification
Confidential briefings for partners
Minister’s letter to AM
Media briefing
Web site
Letter and reports to opinion-formers

30. Media coverage

31. Results On-message and extensive media coverage
Limited pressure group response
No political storm
Appreciative opinion-formers responses

32. Conclusions Strategy worked well Message delivered effectively But…
Just one episode in communication
Green Audit is still campaigning

33. Conclusions
Engage staff and stakeholders first
It’s a long game!