COMMUNICATION in NHS

Communication in National Health Service



Communication in National Health Service

Introduction

The National Health System (NHS) is responsible for British public health. Services provided include hospitals, doctors, specialists, dentists, pharmacists, opticians, and ambulances. UK has the best health care system. It provides the quality, efficiency, access to health services, gives healthy lifestyle. The National Health Service (NHS) has a strong focus on primary care General Practitioner (GP) or family doctor. Most health centres and Practices in the UK are owned by the GPs (Department of Health, 2009, pp.45-58). 

Communication Business Information in NHS

The NHS is already moving beyond a narrow view of communications as being just about press releases. While press releases have an important part to play in communications work, they are only one of the elements of media work, which is itself only one strand within a rounded and effective approach to communications. Across the public and private sectors, organisations are moving away from what the Phillips report into government communications called "the narrow view” of what communications involves (Department of Health, 2009, pp.45-58).

A broader, more strategic and more comprehensive approach is required, if the NHS, like other organisations, is to keep pace with a fast-changing and financially challenging world. Consider some of the defining characteristics of our era: the emergence of the so-called "Martini media", now available anytime, any place, anywhere; the Internet, which transforms the speed, scale and nature of communications; the shift away from one-way and top-down "mass" communications, which the Internet has done so much to accelerate; and the decline of trust in authority. These are just some of the features of the 21st century world, and the NHS needs a 21st century approach to communications if it is to keep up (McNulty, 2004, pp.65-72). The management at NHS identified four key principles to commuicate business information effectively.

Continuous, not just in crisis

Different audiences, not just the media

Listening as well as talking - less loud-hailer, more radar

We communicate through what we do, not just what we say

Communications is not just about getting a message across, but that is one of its main functions. What should the message be? The short answer is that this will vary from one context to another. There are, however, two general themes that bear endless repetition. First, the achievements of the NHS and positive ratings and experiences from patients. Various studies have shown consistently that patients rate the NHS far more favourably than the public does (NHS London, 2010, pp.22-30). Underlining achievements, and in particular highlighting the positive experiences of patients, who after all are the people with direct front-line knowledge, and thus credibility as witnesses, are excellent ways to boost reputation and close the gap between image and reality.

Second, showing how and why the NHS is changing. The process of change is itself continuous, so it is important to talk about it continuously. Failure to do this can mean that people who do not have direct experience of the NHS hold an image of it which is increasingly outdated: a particular problem when difficult changes are proposed ...