Getting YOUR message across

Betty McBride

Director of Policy & Communications

• Raise awareness about what you do and why

• Apply pressure for change

• Ask for people to help you

Using your local media

Press

TV

Radio

Using your local media

Web

• Issues or events that affect local people

• Things that bring your story to life – great pictures, emotive stories,

• Local facts, figures and spokespeople

What stands out?

DOUBT KILLS

DOUBT KILLS

• To save lives by reducing pain to call times

• Achieve this through raising awareness of heart attack symptoms and appropriate way to respond, breaking down barriers to calling 999

PARTNERSHIPS

• Supported by a number of external stakeholders – ambulance services and ambulance trusts are key

• ASA support a highlight

• Launch event, stunts & photo ops

• Stories from people impacted

• Policy calls

• Engaging local MPs

• Letters to newspaper editors

Tactics that work well

Results that count

Blanket media coverage

Engagement of ministers & over 120 MPs

Lives saved

Early signs of a reduction in the pain to call time (MINAP)

National Campaign Aims

1. Access for all heart patients

2. Choice of alternative methods

3. Address needs of under-represented groups

4. Meet BACR minimum standards

5. Monitor through national audit

Doing your homework

1. Gather your informationwww.cardiac-rehabilitation.net

2. Contact your local media

3. Lobby your local NHS service

4. Lobby your politicians

Get off to a flying start…

• Four steps to get the campaign rolling1. find your local representative via

www.theyworkforyou.com

2. download a sample letter to send from www.bhf.org.uk/campaigns

3. make it personal and local!

4. crucially, tell us how you get on via campaigns@bhf.org.uk

…Starting Today

• YO1 6JF

• Hugh Bayley MP

• Labour, City of York

• He is a health specialist – potential to become a parliamentary champion for cardiac rehabilitation

bhf.org.uk/campaigns

• Online tools– Sample letter to politicians– Sample letter to newspaper editor– Summary of key points– become a BHF campaigner