HCA PR Programme 2005
Progress Report
December 2004 - February 2005
Introduction
This Progress Report summarises the Press Office/PR work conducted by Hazel Green on behalf of the Hospital Caterers Association over the period 17 November 2004 - 16 February 2005. The Report is divided into five separate sections which correspond to the main areas of PR activity that have been undertaken for the HCA.
1. HCA EVENTS & INITIATIVES
1.1 HCA/BDA Seminar - Council of Europe Resolution
HG attended the joint HCA/BDA Seminar on the Council for Europe Resolution in London on 3 November.
HG invited Caterer & Hotelkeeper to also attend as the magazine was about to publish its Inside Health supplement within Caterer and the Council of Europe Resolution was a topical subject for inclusion. A feature on this was subsequently included in Inside Health, published in the 2-8 December issue of Caterer & Hotelkeeper.
HG also prepared a press article on the implications of the CoE Resolution/
outcomes from the HCA/BDA debate for general media use.
1.2. HCA National Day of Choice 2005
HG attended a meeting with the HCA GP Committee at St Thomas’s Hospital, London on 10 January to progress plans for the second HCA National Day i.e. National Day of Choice on May 12 2005.
HG liaised with Loyd Grossman’s assistant re. LG involvement/support for the Day including his attendance at the proposed London launch on May 12.
HG made contact with the Department of Health to pursue the possibility of using the DoH’s 5 A Day logo on the promotional materials and also approached the Patients Association for its support including use of its logo and a message of endorsement for the Day.
HG is liaising on a regular basis with IR on plans/format for the promotional pack including posters, stickers, letters etc.
HG prepared the Sponsorship Invitation document for use by GW in seeking sponsorship from suppliers for the Day as well as distribution to other HCA contacts.
HG is currently working on developing a standard press release on the HCA’s National Day of Choice which will be included in the Promotional Pack.
1.3 Branch Officers Training Day
HG prepared a Powerpoint presentation on the role of PR for the HCA as well as all key HCA PR activity undertaken between 2003 - 2005. HG presented this at the Branch Officers Training Day held at Solihull Hospital on 4 February 2005.
2. HCA NEWS ANNOUNCEMENTS
2.1 Building Better Healthcare Awards 2004/BBC Radio 4 Food & Farming Awards 2004
HG liaised with NHS Estates Press Office for details of the winners in their 2004 Building Better Healthcare Awards announced on November 25 and endeavoured to obtained pictures from the Awards Ceremony.
HG also liaised with the Radio 4 Press Office to obtain details of/photographs from their Awards Ceremony at which Ron McKenzie jointly won the Best Dinner Man Award in their Radio 4 Food & Farming Awards 2004.
HG drafted a joint press release in on both sets of Awards and these were issued together with photographs of Martin Cantor/Ron McKenzie to all catering/health care trade/professional press. Coverage was obtained in a number of publications including Caterer & Hotelkeeper, Inside Health, Cost Sector Catering, Dietetics Today, BBC Online and also in The Times.
2.2 HCA Conference 2005
HG liaised with Kevin Wallace on the HCA Conference 2005 Committee re the provisional programme for this year’s National Conference. An advance press release was prepared on the HCA Conference for distribution to the trade/professional press and for information to the Health Editors of the national media.
HG liaised direct with Lord Hunt to obtain approval re copy included in the release on his keynote speech as the NPSA Chairman. Following his positive response on 11 February, the release was issued, with a photograph of Lord Hunt, to Cost Sector Catering magazine to meet its March publication deadline and also to all other trade/healthcare publications and the national media.
3. HCA MEDIA RESPONSES & STATEMENTS
3.1 National Salt Awareness Day
AMcC asked HG to attend the official launch of National Salt Awareness Day on January 26 at the House of Commons which was attended by industry professionals, health experts, MPs and ministers including Debra Shipley MP and Public Minister for Health, Melanie Johnson MP.
HG prepared an HCA media response to the call for salt reduction in food. This was sent to the CASH (Consensus Action on Salt & Health), the organisers of National Salt Awareness Day and it was also made available at the House of Commons launch.
4. PRESS ARTICLES
4.1 HEFMA Yearbook
- HG was asked to prepare the HCA’s annual entry into the HEFMA Yearbook 2005. HG wrote an article entitled ‘Nutritional Care & Tackling Undernutrition is the Future Focus’ based on the CoE Resolution. This was formatted with a brief summary of the HCA together with contact details/HCA logo etc. This was submitted in January for publication.
4.2 Public Service Review: Health
The HCA was invited to contribute a 1400 word article for the Public Service Review: Health which is a bi-annual publication produced in conjunction with NHS Estates and fronted by Secretary of State for Health, Dr John Reid. It is distributed free of charge to key decision makers in the NHS and has a current circulation of 7000. HG adapted the article on the CoE Resolution/the joint HCA/BDA initiative for inclusion.
HG sourced photographs from the joint HCA/BDA Seminar of LG/RW speaking and also sourced a dietetic consultation photograph from the BDA for inclusion with the article. The publication has now gone to press and will be distributed in the Spring.
5. GENERAL MEDIA LIAISON/COMMUNICATION
The HCA Press Office has dealt with a number of general media queries, issues and opportunities over the period November 2004 - February 2005. Some of the key highlights are as follows:
5.1 Caterer & Hotelkeeper
HG supplied C & H in December with an HCA response re. the subject of NHS catering policies on local purchasing and sustainable procurement self assessment for an article for C & H’s Autumn 2004 Inside Health supplement.
5.2 Daily Mail Cartoon
Following the publication of a MAC ‘Christmas hospital lunch’ cartoon in the December 14 edition of the Daily Mail, HG liaised with AMcC to discuss whether an official HCA complaint to the newspaper was appropriate. After further consultation, the HCA’s decision was not to take any action with the Daily Mail.
5.3 Dietary Manager (United States)
Following the formation of the HCI, AMcC received an invitation from the Dietary Managers Association in the U.S. to co-operate on a profile of the HCA as part of a series on each of the HCI Member organisations during 2005 in their magazine, Dietary Manager.
HG submitted a considerable amount of background information on the HCA against a checklist of 12 question areas from Dietary Manager. This is to be published as an article during the coming months.
5.4 Foodservice Forum
HG liaised with the new catering trade publication, Foodservice Forum which launched its first issue in November 2004. The magazine is planning its next issue which is scheduled for publication in late February/early March. A special feature on public sector catering including hospital catering will be incorporated.
For this purpose, the Foodservice Forum Editor visited Darlington Memorial Hospital in January to prepare a case study style article on ‘good practice’ hospital catering and HG submitted the HCA article on the CoE Resolution plus other HCA backgrounders for the supporting general feature in the publication.
5.5 Inside Health - Spring 2005 (Caterer & Hotelkeeper)
HG has been contacted by C & H for help and guidance with the content planning for the next edition of Inside Health, the publication of which is being specially timed to coincide with the first day of the HCA Conference on April 21. HG has suggested that they include a profile on Lord Hunt and his new roles (HCA and NPSA) and has also provided the HCA Conference provisional programme so that a feature might be possible on one or more of the speaker topics.