HCA PR Programme 2005
Progress Report
February – November 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 16 February – 18 November 2005. The Report is divided into four 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 National Day of Choice 2005
HG attended a meeting with IR/GW on 18 February at St Thomas’s Hospital, London and the GP Committee Meeting on March 2 in Nottingham to discuss sponsorship progress/further development plans for the HCA National Day of Choice campaign and launch day on May 12 2005.
HG continued to liaise with Loyd Grossman’s assistant re. LG involvement/support for the campaign and for his presentation/attendance at the launch venue in London on May 12.
HG is liaising on a regular basis with IR on the production of the final promotional pack including posters, stickers, letters etc as well as the standard press release providing the background/rationale for the HCA Day of Choice campaign. The latter was also printed and included in the promotional pack.
Once the launch venue was identified i.e. the Royal Brompton Hospital, HG liaised with the hospital’s press office on a regular basis to co-ordinate media attendance/liaison for the event.
A national media photocall notice was prepared and issued to all key national/London area press, radio and TV as well as trade/professional press. The photocall focused on LG visiting the paediatric ward to host a children’s fruit tasting party, one of the Royal Brompton’s Day of Choice activities.
A further on the day press release was prepared highlighting the actions being taken by HCA Members nationwide to celebrate the HCA’s National Day of Choice.
The HCA National Day of Choice provoked much high profile media attention as well as key attendance on the day. Many requests were received for media interviews with LG/AMcC and IR over the phone prior to and on May 12. Amongst the media interest/attendance, the following was achieved: LBC Radio (interview with LG), Health Service Journal (interview with AMcC), ITV Lunchtime News (live interview with LG), Press Association, BBC Radio 5 Live ‘Drive’ (interview with LG), Caterer & Hotelkeeper, Cost Sector Catering (Apr & Jun issues), NHS Care Club Newsletter (June), Dietetics Today (June), Financial Times, Independent on Sunday, Evening Standard, Nursing Times (attendance/interviews and coverage 17 May issue), Daily Mail (attendance at event), BBC News Online (tel interview AMcC – major report carried on May 12). Significant regional media interest also generated including Nottingham Evening Post, Derby Evening Telegraph, News & Star, Eastern Daily Press, Stafford Express & Star and many more.
In addition, the theme of the HCA’s National Day i.e. Choice provided an ongoing angle for a number of HCA articles in key publications. (See Sections 3.1 and 3.2 for further details)
1.2 HCA Conference 2005
HG continued to liaised with the HCA Conference 2005 Committee and Conference Organisers, Sovereign on progress re the provisional programme for the 2005 event at Eastbourne.
HG liaised with Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine on the proposed content of their ‘Inside Health’ Supplement whose publication was to coincide with the timing of the HCA Conference. HG suggested a focus on some of the speaker topics and a profile with Lord Hunt as the new President of the HCA. HG made contact with the chosen speakers and arranged for C & H to interview them. HG also set up a face to face interview with Lord Hunt and the C & H journalist at the House of Lords on 21 March. Inside Health was published with excellent coverage for the HCA in 14 April issue.
Following the initial early press release issued in March, a further pre-Conference embargoed press release was issued to all key health and news national media as well as trade/professional press. This was entitled “HCA Chairman calls for ‘joined up’ food service for patients”.
Good coverage was achieved for the HCA Conference incl. The Independent (interview with AMcC 20/4), Cost Sector Catering (Mar & Jun issues), C & H Inside Health (14 Apr), Caterer & Hotelkeeper (attendance of journalist – follow up coverage on Lord Hunt speech - 28 Apr), Cost Sector Catering (event preview – April), NHS Insites (Mar), Dietetics Today (Apr), FMJ (attendance of Editor and follow up coverage – May issue), Nutrition & Food Science (attendance of journalist) and Nursing Times (attendance of journalist and follow up coverage - 26 Apr – 2 May issue).
1.3 HCA National Day 2006
HG attended meeting with IR, JH and AD at Salisbury District Hospital on 31 October to discuss outline plans and initial ideas for a third HCA National Campaign/Day for 2006. A theme and potential format/approach was arrived at and IR to report to HCA National Council on 25 November before any action taken.
2. HCA MEDIA RESPONSES & STATEMENTS
2.1 Sudan 1 Illegal Dye Food Scare
Following the extensive national media coverage earlier this year around the Sudan 1 food dye scare re. many food products served in supermarkets, attention turned to whether the dye had got into other public service catering food products. With the media attention turning towards the threat to patients re. hospital food, much background work was done by HG to liaise with AMcC on researching amongst HCA Members the potential extent of the problem, with hospital suppliers (inc 3663, Brakes, Premier, etc) on which foods may have been affected and also the FSA Press Office.
Following the feedback, HG prepared a Media Statement which endeavoured to calm fears and reassure patients/relatives through media coverage that there was no danger, that only a limited number of recalled products were used in hospitals and that any of these had already been removed.
HG liaised with a number of national media and trade/professional press journalists and provided the statement including HSJ, BBC TV, C & H, Metro, Daily Mail etc. AMcC was interviewed by HSJ and coverage appeared in the 24 Feb issue.
2.2. Hospital Food Waste
Following a parliamentary question tabled by Shadow Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley in June 2005, figures were revealed in the response which stated that more than 17 million meals were thrown away untouched in hospital in 2004. This news was circulated by the Press Association and picked up by BBC News 24 who contacted the HCA Press Office for comment on Friday evening, 3 June.
Following the query, HG liaised with AMcC who could not identify the source of these figures. HG contacted the DoH for clarification on the source of the figures and a verbal response was agreed with AMcC. An interview was declined but HG provided the HCA response to several media showing interest incl. BBC News 24, The Times and Caterer & Hotelkeeper. C & H ran the HCA response online. The HCA response stated that the figures were questioned and that the Association had not previously seen the figure and needed to validate the data within the context of the fuller picture re hospital waste.
3. PRESS ARTICLES
3.1 Public Service Review: Health
The HCA was, once again, 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. It is distributed free of charge to key decision makers in the NHS and has a circulation of approx. 7000.
HG prepared an HCA article based on the theme of ‘choice’ linking to the HCA’s National Day of Choice campaign. Photographs of LG at the launch event was supplied as well as of AMcC. This was published in the summer of 2005.
3.2 HCA ‘Choice’ article
The HCA National Day of Choice article was further expanded/edited for three other publications as follows:
Health Business Magazine
A 1600 word article on the latest hospital catering topic was requested by Health Business Magazine.. HG adapted and expanded the HCA ‘choice’ article and this was published in the June issue.
Food Chain Magazine
HCA ‘Choice’ article edited as a two page entry for the HCA within Food Chain Magazine, July issue.
Health Development Magazine (HD)
A further version of the article was prepared for HD Magazine which covered the HCA’s launch of National Day of Choice with several photographs in the July issue.
3.3 HCA call to Government to focus on ‘service’
Caterer & Hotelkeeper/Caterer Online
Following comments made by AMcC in her speech at the HCA Conference and subsequently to C & H, Caterer Online ran a brief news snippet on AMcC revealing that she had written to the Government to call on them to re-launch the BHF Programme as the Better Hospital Food Service Programme.
Nursing Management Magazine
The Editor of Nursing Management approached the HCA for the latest news topic/next development within hospital catering. HG provided background information re the HCA’s request of Government to focus the next stage of the BHF Programme on food service and set up an interview with AMcC. Full page article entitled ‘Serving up success’ published in September issue.
3.4 Health Business Magazine
HG prepared a 1600 word HCA article entitled ‘At Your Service – Hospital Caterers Call for Government Support for Improved Food Service at Ward Level’. This was published in AMcC’s name in the November issue.
3.5 NHS Directory
The HCA was invited to submit an entry of approx 800 words for the new edition of the NHS Directory which is being edited by former Daily Mirror Medical Editor Jill Palmer. The Directory is to include a series of editorials on various NHS themes one of which was to be hospital catering and nutrition. HG adapted the HCA ‘Service’ article’ in the required format and this was supplied on November 8.
4. GENERAL MEDIA LIAISON/COMMUNICATION
The HCA Press Office has dealt with a number of general media queries, issues and opportunities over the period February – November 2005. Some of the key highlights are as follows:
4.1 Health Management Magazine
HM requested a comment from the HCA re the success of the BHF programme. This was submitted as a written statement by AMcC and submitted in February.
4.2 The Daily Telegraph
The HCA Press Office was approached by Barbara Lantin regarding assistance and input for a major feature on the subject of “Is hospital food getting better?” HG provided considerable background information and set up for AMcC to be interviewed by the journalist. Help was also provided on other sources of information. The article was published in the DT’s Health and Wellbeing supplement in the March 16 issue with the inclusion of a substantial quote from AMcC.
4.3 BBC Radio 4 ‘You & Yours’
The HCA was contacted by R4 You & Yours after they had been contacted by a doctor whose own father had suffered from weight loss due to lack of feeding help whilst in hospital. You & Yours wanted to explore the issues relating to food and the elderly in hospital as a major programme item. HG liaised extensively with the programme researcher and set up for AMcC to be interviewed on the programme broadcast in April.
4.4 Sunday Times
Journalist on Sunday Times was preparing a feature on children’s menus in hospitals following on the from the media interest in school meals. HG supplied background information and liaised with Ann Owen of Trent Branch as expert re. children’s menu development.. AMcC also interviewed in on 14 April.
4.5 The Guardian
Guardian contacted HCA Press Office for comment from an HCA Member re proposed 48 hr working week. Liaised with JH, Nottingham.
4.6 Hospital Doctor Magazine
Following the call by Junior Doctors at their BMA Conference for Jamie Oliver to ‘revamp hospital food’, freelance journalist decided to prepare an article on junior doctors views of hospital food. HG arranged for journalist to interview AMcC in May to put forward the HCA’s perspective.
4.7 Public Finance Magazine
Public Finance Magazine wanted to feature an article on the financial/operational implications for hospital caterers re the introduction of the BHF Programme and how many hospitals had achieved the original targets. HG supplied background information and arranged for AMcC to be interviewed in May.
4.8 Hospital Development Magazine/Healthcare Equipment & Supplies Magazine
HG arranged for AMcC to be interviewed by journalist writing for both magazines on two different subjects – HD wanted to explore delivery methods whilst HES wanted to examine procurement and supply management issues. Interviews were set up for HES for late May and for HD for early June.
4.9 HCA Chair voted new Global Chair of HCI
- HG used the opportunity of AMcC being elected new global chair of the HCI to liaise with Mike Fryer on the creation of an HCI press release announcing this news. This was entitled ‘HCA Chair takes on new global role’ and was issued to all relevant trade/professional press in the UK. MF also distributed to other HCI countries for distribution to their respective trade media. (C & H covered in News in Brief in 1-7 Sept issue. Checking other coverage)
4.10 The Guardian
David Batty of The Guardian contacted the HCA Press Office for a comment re visitors receiving poor food through branded outlets in hospitals. HG consulted with AMcC on response and this was provided verbally to journalist by HG.
4.11 BMA News
The HCA Press Office was contacted by the British Medical Association News for assistance/input to an article on ‘catering for doctors’. HG provided background information (24 hour services etc) and set up for AMcC to be interviewed on 14 Nov. Article due to be published in Dec.
4.12 ITV News
HG was contacted by Chris Choi, Consumer Affairs Editor/Reporter for national ITV News re comments made by members of the Essex NHS Trust who attended the official launch by Jamie Oliver of the Ashlyns Training Kitchen in Essex. They felt that JO should be engaged to ‘re-vamp hospital food’. CC wants to conduct a major programme item or series of reports on the latest developments in hospital food. (CC did a similar exercise recently re school meals with LACA. This resulted in a five day series of news reports on progress/action taken by school caterers to improve school meals over and above JO/the Government). HG set up for CC to have a background discussion with AMcC and CC has now put forward two potential subject areas for his proposed broadcasts (I.e. budgets hospital caterers have to work within and service/assistance for patient feeding at ward level) at the beginning of Dec 2005. AMcC has consulted with HCA National Executive colleagues for views and HG is now progressing the development of the programme items direct with CC.