Aims and objectives:
The project aimed to modernise internal communications within the PCT. It was a year-long programme (now ongoing) that brought together a variety of internal communications initiatives under the branding ‘Modern Healthcare in a Modern City’.
The Communications team developed the following programme:
• A re-launched reader-friendly, monthly staff Update newsletter
• Intranet and email bulletins
• A new Who’s Who booklet for the PCT including practical information and the organisation’s vision and objectives
• Introduction of new team briefings
• Communications display and advice at PCT staff inductions
• A staff conference at a major city centre venue attended by 170 staff
The strategic context runs through the programme, with publications such as the Who’s Who booklet summarising the organisation’s governance structure, roles and responsibilities of those who lead and direct the PCT, a listing of the vision and values that underpin the PCT, and key priorities.
Support for the change:
The communications team (Head of Communications and the Press & PR Officer) drove the programme forward throughout the year, with direct reporting to the Chief Executive and Executive Management Team.
Certain projects gained approval at Board level, from setting up a date for the staff conference to copy proofing for the Who’s Who guide.
Monthly meetings of the PCT’s Communications Strategy Group progressed ideas. The Group is chaired by a Non-Executive Director with responsibility for communications and has representatives from across primary care including staff side and the Chair of the Professional Executive Committee.
A separate working party was set up to meet fortnightly in the build-up to the staff conference at the Albert Hall, Nottingham with representatives from across three PCT directorates.
Monthly activity reports outlining all communications projects are sent to Board, Management Team and Communications Strategy Group members.
Patient and public influence:
Effective two-way communications are of critical importance in the workplace, especially for this Trust with 1,500 staff across three Nottingham ‘localities’.
Service users’ feedback arrives through several channels – among them the PCT’s Communications Group which includes representatives from the services (e.g. Intermediate Care), GP, nursing, and managerial positions. We also regularly ask for stories to publish in the monthly newsletter, providing colleagues with information to support their jobs and to celebrate the success of those who have received recognition for a job well done. We use questionnaires to follow up events like the conference and AGM to determine what has worked and what could be improved in future years.
While the programme of internal communications is mainly aimed at staff, we do have a PALS representative on the PCT Communications Group and are in communication with the Patients Forum/other stakeholders/voluntary groups for their information and comments.
Impact on the workforce:
A case study of good internal communications impacting on workforce development is Nottingham City PCT’s annual conference. The second annual conference was held at the Albert Hall, Nottingham, on April 27, 2004. It attracted local and national speakers - among them Department of Health Primary Care ‘Tsar’ David Colin-Thomé and DH nursing lead for access, Pamela Bradbury.
There were displays on the Local Improvement Finance Trust initiative, Improving Working Lives, public health, commissioning projects (including the new GP contract), and partnership working in Greater Nottingham. The afternoon saw delegates chose between a series of workshops to strengthen their understanding of Agenda for Change, patient choice, the National Programme for IT, and patient and public involvement.
Measuring the results:
Evaluation is carried out on individual projects wherever possible within current resources. Questionnaire evaluation of the conference, for example, found:
• The full-day event was attended by 170 PCT staff and colleagues in partner organisations
• 89% of delegates said they would attend a staff conference in 2005.
• 92% of delegates said they would recommend the event to colleagues next year
• Also the Annual Staff Survey highlighted year-on-year improvement in PCT’s communications
Improved performance:
The data above showed positive improvements upon the first staff conference. Other project evaluation, the PCT’s AGM in 2004, saw the event rated as ‘good’ by 83% of those staff involved in a day of displays at the Victoria Shopping Centre with praise for greater levels of public/patient involvement compared to previous events. The planned introduction of a Performance Assessment Framework for communications across Trent SHA will help individual organisations like Nottingham City PCT compare its systems for communications against peers.
Reflecting diversity:
The systems of internal communications operate at all levels, across the three localities for staff serving a population of 305,000. There is not any one system - intranet, email, notice board poster, team briefing or Update newsletter – that is ever guaranteed to reach all recipients with its message heard and understood. Thus messages will be cascaded through different systems according to the need and audience. The conference was promoted to staff through all the methods just outlined, as well as through the local media.
Specific issues of equality and diversity are picked up through any of the above mechanisms. This area has recently received attention in the monthly staff Update newsletter and has also been highlighted in the Annual Report – available to all staff.
Sharing the learning:
This area of work has been highlighted to other communications leads on an on-going basis through the monthly meetings of the Greater Nottingham NHS Communications Group with representatives attending from the acute trusts, PCTs and NHS Direct.
It was also highlighted at the Association of Healthcare Communicators (www.assochealth.org.uk) conference in Bristol in October 2004 gaining a highly commended award for staff communications.
Outstanding features:
The conference and the ‘Who’s Who guide to the PCT’ (launched at this year’s conference) are good examples of effective communications while our latest achievement is a complete re-design and new editorial approach to the staff newsletter, Update.
The four-page monthly Update newsletter has recently been re-designed for a professional appearance with a more eye-catching layout and increased use of ‘cut-outs’. The story count has increased. The style is approachable, readable and friendly, a mixture of key corporate messages and human-interest stories. Feedback obtained through the Executive Management Team, Communications Group and ‘on the ground’ supports the re-launch.
Copies of all the above publications/event packs are available upon request.
