With low public awareness of their role, and difficult decisions increasingly being made in the full glare of the public eye, primary care trusts (PCTs) have a particular communications challenge facing them. Recent critical media stories about priority setting and difficult decisions around end-of-life medicines have made a negative impact on the perception of PCTs. An open and honest approach to communications is required to earn trust and enable effective working with all stakeholder audiences. Although the PCT Network will be seeking to effectively communicate the role and performance of PCTs throughout its work programme, during 2010/11 we will also be seeking to:
- Influence the development of policy proposals from the new government on commissioning and community services
- Change perceptions and increase the understanding of policy makers and politicians of PCT issues, particularly amongst new MPs and ministers
- Assist our PCT members by identifying opportunities to promote and engage them in our media and public affairs work
- Influence the regulatory framework, particularly ongoing duplication/confusion within the current regulatory processes.
You can read about the recent and ongoing PCT Network activity in further detail below. Please note in order to read our briefings and notes from meetings, must be a member of the PCT Network. Members will need to log in to view the links on this page.
PCT Network policy reference groups
The PCT Network is positioning itself with new MPs and policy-makers as the leading voice on policies affecting PCTs. We have recently held two summits to help refine our policy views with members and to assess which issues PCTs see as priorities for the Network to focus on.
Some of the topics explored included the regulatory and performance regime for PCTs, relationships between PCTs and local government, and further development of the commissioning function within the NHS.
Our contact programme
We hold regular meetings with a variety of different politicians and stakeholders to help influence their thinking, represent the views of PCTs, or to assess opportunities for joint-working with third parties. Members can read further details on our most recent meetings on our political and stakeholder engagement web page.
With a new Parliament, there are 232 new MPs, many of whom may have relatively little knowledge about PCTs and PCT issues. The PCT Network will be proactively meeting with those with a health-interest to discuss issues of importance to PCTs. We will be continuing to monitor debates, questions and comments made in Parliament by all MPs to assess opportunities for communicating our key issues.
Recent PCT Network activity and research
In 2009/10 we worked with Ipsos MORI, the leading market research company, to help understand how PCTs can best communicate with the general public when considering local service changes. Ipsos MORI interviewed a number of focus groups of the general public, and also conducted interviews with PCTs who had undertaken local service changes.
Our interpretation of the research findings can be found in our publication Talking it through: the importance of communications when discussing local service change.
This PCT Network publication argues that PCTs need to communicate important decisions locally in a transparent way to help improve public understanding and constructive involvement. Although this report focuses on communications during local service reconfigurations, some of the findings can be applied to other high-profile local decisions such as drug funding.
Members can read 'Talking it through: the importance of communications when discussing local service change', in our publications library.
Health select committee on commissioning
The PCT Network submitted written and presented oral evidence to the Health Select Committee’s recent review of commissioning in the NHS. We argued that: ‘Whilst good progress has been made, we recognise there is still work to be done to improve commissioning. If commissioners are afforded sufficient organisational and policy stability, we are confident that they will continue to improve both their own capabilities and, more importantly, health outcomes for their populations.’
A number of PCTs also gave evidence to the Health Select Committee. The PCT Network provided advice to members on presenting their evidence and updates on individual Committee sessions. Despite our involvement, we were strongly critical of the report in our response as we felt the Committee ignored the evidence of progress presented by PCTs and other commentators, failing to produce a fair and balanced analysis of the topic.
Read our submission to the Health Select Committee in full. You have to be a PCT Network member to access this document.
You can read the NHS Confederation response to the Health Select Committee report in our media centre.
PCT reputation management
NHS Confederation has published a Reputation Guide for the boards of all its member trusts.
'Reputation management: a guide for boards', focuses on how trust boards can communicate effectively to their audiences. The guide includes the following:
- Local NHS reputation advice support pack
- Learning lessons from other sectors on how to provide a customer focus
- How to involve and engage before the need to consult
- Development of support website and newsletters for NHS communications leads
- Development of a local constituency links programme with their local MPs and local politicians
You can download and read Reputation management: a guide for boards the report in our publications library.
Media activity
Our PCT Network director David Stout is regularly invited to comment on the key issues for our members in a range of broadcast, national and trade media.
Please visit our media centre page for a full list of issues discussed by the PCT Network in the media.