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Crisis PR for Healthcare

Due to its nature, healthcare crisis PR poses distinctive communications and reputation management challenges. The threat of widespread public impact, serious regulatory implications, and the emotional weight of healthcare issues contribute to an intense level of scrutiny from the media, the public, and other stakeholders.

It is then vital that hospitals and healthcare organisations have the resources in place to help them navigate potential crisis scenarios with precision, empathy, and competence. This helps them maintain control over the narrative, preserve trust among parties, uphold their reputation, and ensure that patient care is not overshadowed by other matters

Our consultants regularly advise clients across the state and private sectors, including NHS trusts of all descriptions, providers of healthcare staff, and suppliers of health products. We also offer a range of services to assist care homes with their crisis communications when issues arise.

Our healthcare crisis PR team regularly supports boards, executives, and in-house communications teams through complex regulatory processes and persistent media coverage. We understand the pressures healthcare leaders face and offer intensive crisis media training and hostile interview practices for senior management to improve their communication skills and confidence. These highly practical sessions help leaders handle public scrutiny and breaking news items, allowing their organisations to maintain control during crises and get their desired messaging across.

 

Areas of Expertise

  • Employment disputes
  • Political scrutiny
  • CQC and niche inspections
  • Victim-led campaigns
  • Victim communications
  • Abuse allegations
  • Deaths and inquests
  • Regulatory failings
  • Litigation PR
  • Managing internal and external stakeholders

Our approach to healthcare reputation  management

Our approach to healthcare crisis PR is thorough and entirely tailored to the unique needs of each client, whether a hospital or a care home. Through our services, we develop and execute ad-hoc strategies to manage crises in real-time, create proactive responses to prevent potential issues from escalating into deeper crises, and develop detailed communication plans with clear protocols for coordinated crisis responses. Our healthcare crisis PR services equip UK hospitals and healthcare organisations with the necessary tools, resources and knowledge to effectively navigate crises, reinforce public trust, and protect their organisation’s reputation.

How can we help?

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Crisis Communications

Our crisis communications services help clients build resilience and readiness in preparation for adverse scenarios, retain control in a crisis, and protect their reputation at all times. We provide media handling advice, draft communications, media monitoring, stakeholder management advice, and a virtual press office service.

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Issues Management

Our vulnerability audit services include diagnostic reviews, reputation audits, and cultural assessments to empower leaders to build organisational resilience by identifying and addressing internal issues that could harm their reputation.

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Crisis PR Planning

Planning ahead will help you cope with the significant demands a crisis will place on your senior team. We offer various services which help organisations put preparatory measures in place, such as crisis communications manuals, crisis simulations, and online reputation reviews.

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Broadcast Media Training

Responding to a negative story with an insistent reporter and rolling cameras is highly stressful. Our broadcast media training equips you with the skills to handle such situations, building your confidence allowing you to get your organisation’s message across in a clear and compassionate manner.

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Our Healthcare Team

Tim Toulmin Managing Director

Tim Toulmin

Managing Director
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Steve Double

Strategic Partner
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Carrie Birmingham

Specialist Partner, Crisis HR & Cultural Transformation
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Jack Myers Account Director

Jack Myers

Account Director
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Joe Macintyre Account Executive

Joe MacIntyre

Senior Account Executive
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“Thank you so much for everything you did for me – you saved my career.”

Consultant, major teaching hospital

“I really appreciated working with you. I was happy with the outcome. I was pleased with how you highlighted the positives. It was exactly what I was after.”

Founder, major care provider

“You’ve provided great advice, you’re always responsive and have felt like an extension to our team – and genuinely a pleasure to work with, especially during some really challenging times.”

Head of Communication, NHS Trust

Get in touch

Our clients rely on us to manage a wide range of sensitive issues. For a free, no-obligation conversation, please phone us on 020 7692 5675 or email us on [email protected], and we will get back to you as soon as possible. 






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    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the difference between healthcare PR and healthcare crisis communications?

    Healthcare PR is aimed at building and maintaining a positive image and reputation for healthcare organisations and professionals. Its principal goal is to establish trust, credibility, and goodwill among patients, caregivers, the public, the media, and other stakeholders.

    Healthcare crisis communications, instead, is a specialised subset of healthcare PR; it is aimed at managing communications when an organisation is facing issues or a crisis, such as behavioural issues of employees, malpractice, product recalls, public inquiries, inquests and litigation. These are all challenging situations which can severely damage the healthcare organisation’s reputation, and at times like this, it is important for senior leaders to be able to rely on external expert support.

    We provide healthcare crisis PR services, which include media handling advice, communications drafting, stakeholder management advice, media monitoring, crisis PR planning, and media training. Our mission is to equip healthcare organisations with the necessary tools and skills to navigate crises confidently.