dr foster 'special measures
TRANSCRIPT
IS ‘SPECIAL MEASURES’ WORKING: DR FOSTER
Client name Sector Timeframe Budget
Dr Foster Health data
January – February 2015
£3,250
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• Develop and strengthen Dr Foster’s reputation as a leader in healthcare data analysis, trusted for its accuracy and integrity.
• Showcase Dr Foster’s expertise in relation to research into whether the ‘special measures’ regime instituted in 11 NHS trusts following the Keogh Review had had a measurable impact on mortality rates.
Challenge Aims of PR
• Set the national health agenda around the first statistical evidence of ‘special measures’ working.
• Secure strong attendance from key journalists at briefing.
• Significant coverage of report to raise profile of Dr Foster and encourage greater attendance at future briefings.
CASE STUDY: DR FOSTER
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Risks Results
• As a ‘good news’ story, journalists might be less likely to cover it.
• One trust (Tameside, a Dr Foster client) showed a worsening trend in the statistics and others showed only marginal improvement – risk of damage to client relationships.
• Coincided with DH announcement about new ‘avoidable deaths’ regime in hospital trusts.
• Change of date of briefing and embargo of report had potential to damage coverage and journalist attendance at briefing.
21.8m potential audience of coverage
35+ pieces of coverage
CASE STUDY: DR FOSTER
• Journalista used pre-existing contacts with key health journalists to organise attendees for expert briefing, and pre-briefing where necessary (in case of BBC)
• Particular emphasis was placed on outlets including the BBC, HSJ and Press Association.
• Careful to limit release of report to Sunday journalists who would not break embargo.
• As a reactive press office, helped journalists understand the data in the report and handle follow-up enquiries and interview bids.
Implementation
8 journalists attending briefing (incl. pre-brief for BBC)
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IMPLEMENTATION: EXPERT BRIEFING
The attendees were:
• Charlotte Lomas (Sky News)
• Charlie Cooper (The Independent)
• Stephen Adams (The Mail on Sunday)
• James Lyons (The Sunday Times)
• Will Hazell (HSJ)
• Gareth Iacobucci (BMJ)
• David Mercer (Press Association)
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IMPLEMENTATION: PRIVATE BRIEFINGS
Additional private briefings were arranged with BBC health journalists: • Hugh Pym (Health editor) • Katherine Jarman (Health
producer)
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OUTPUTS: TV COVERAGE
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OUTPUTS: ONLINE COVERAGE
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OUTPUTS: PRINT COVERAGE
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OUTPUTS: SOCIAL MEDIA
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01 Secured 35 pieces of coverage across national, regional and broadcast press including the BBC, Sky News and Guardian.
02 Organised seven national health journalist attendees for the expert briefing plus two private briefings with BBC journalists.
OUTCOMES
03 Reached 21.8m people through coverage attendees at expert briefing and targeted press release send out.
04 Reached an audience of more than 90,000 people through Twitter who engaged with published pieces.
05 Arranged video interviews with BBC and Sky News, which were broadcast on respective channels.
“WE WERE DELIGHTED WITH THE RESULTS OF JOURNALISTA’S EFFORTS ON DELIVERING BOTH IMPORTANT STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT AND FANTATSIC PROMINENT COVERAGE OF THE OUR DATA. THE HEALTHCARE INSIGHT AND KNOWLEDGE OF HOLLY’S TEAM IS SECOND TO NONE. THEIR ABILITY TO TAKE THE TEMPERATURE AND STRIKE THE RIGHT CONTENT AT THE RIGHT TIME GIVES THEM THEIR EDGE.”
Roger Taylor, Director of Research, Dr Foster
