Responding to a crisis is the ultimate test of leadership. The communication demands are intense at such times, and the way stakeholders and the media are managed will help define your and your organisation’s reputation for a long time. The relentless scrutiny the healthcare sector attracts can require specialist support to ensure it is managed in a professional, front-footed way that protects and enhances your reputation.
We work for a number of leading hospitals and healthcare institutions, advising on a wide range of challenging situations. These include:
Unlike most agencies, Alder specialises in crisis communications only. Our consultants bring decades of expertise from the media, corporate and regulatory worlds, to provide focus, reassurance and clarity in the moments they are most needed.
Register your interest for our upcoming webinar where you will get to peek behind the curtain of a newsroom to understand what drives the news agenda, how to pitch to journalists, and how to recover from a PR crisis – among many other topics. Followed by a Q&A.
Free webinar with limited availability so register your interest today.
Duration: 1 hour
Date: Tuesday 2nd May
Time: 14:00 – 15:00
In a kinder world, health and care leaders might be looking forward to a less stressful 2023.
After the extraordinary challenges, scrutiny and reputational issues experienced during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the sector would have been forgiven for hoping for a period of reduced intensity. Issues like strike action, Strep A and seasonal pressures, regulatory enquiries, political pressure and media scrutiny of individual setbacks – to name just a few – mean that this is highly unlikely to be the case.
We focus on four areas when considering the management of your reputation: resilience; readiness; response and recovery.
Resilience – what structures and processes you have in place – such as media training senior staff, crisis communications protocols – to ensure you won’t be thrown off course should a crisis arise.
Readiness – how swiftly and flexibly you can jump into action at the first sign of a crisis.
Response – how well you react to stakeholder pressures and media scrutiny during a crisis.
Recovery – what you can do to remedy any impact on your reputation, including longer-term stakeholder reassurance and building positive press.
Click on our cycle of crisis to find out more about our reputational management services.
The trust had suffered reputational damage following a series of in-patient safety incidents and negative CQC ratings. Alder was engaged by the CEO to work with the trust’s lawyers to develop a strategic plan for responding to complex legal and regulatory cases, including CQC inspections and inquests.
We found significant challenges in the way patient safety incidents and communications with grieving families were managed. By adopting a ‘families first’ strategy and chairing weekly inter-departmental meetings, Alder has overseen improvements in family liaison, forward planning and crisis communication fundamentals. We have also provided bespoke communication plans for individual legal cases, and stakeholder engagement advice on CQC matters.
Our clients rely on us to handle a wide range of sensitive issues. If you have a question or want to find out more then contact us below for a discreet, non-obligatory call.