Of course, for the most part, the traffic on the @comms2point0 Twitter is shared knowledge. But when one person on Twitter called out the whole of the NHS comms profession there was a different reaction. Here's a few of the responses.
by Dan Slee
So, why bother with NHS comms people at all? That was the bold question posed by one private sector surgeon late night on Twitter.
What was fascinating was to read the speed and number of responses from people in and around the health comms profession. People feel passionate about the jobs they do and their purpose.
Here's a few responses.
Fundamentally, comms people help organisations communicate better so the right people use the right services at the right time. Simple. They communicate so doctors can do their day job better. So clinicians can do their job rather than try and draw-up posters and create websites.
Point people towards this short unscientific list if people still wonder outloud why the NHS has communications and PR people.
@CrayonWW @NHScommsorg @comms2point0 Can you point me to some evidence? Can see importance of PR etc. in pvt sector but in NHS???
— theveindoc (@theveindoc) November 6, 2014
@NHScommsorg @CrayonWW @comms2point0 Does that require a specialised dept? Cant we just expect other depts to communicate with patients?
— theveindoc (@theveindoc) November 6, 2014
@theveindoc @NHScommsorg @comms2point0 Comms doesn't matter when NHS has endless resources and no need to answer to patients and taxpayers
— Julian Patterson (@jtweeterson) November 6, 2014
@MrJonesTalks @comms2point0 why would one of the biggest organisations in the world not have comms people?
— Tiffany Jones (@Tiffanyemma) November 6, 2014
@theveindoc @CrayonWW @NHScommsorg @comms2point0 if my promotion of anything saves or enhances 1 life then yes, I think my job is justified
— Adam Shepphard (@getdownshep) November 6, 2014
@jongudmund it's an old tired point by now, but nhs comms shd be there to help nhs ppl communicate better @comms2point0 @MrJonesTalks
— Jon Beech (@_jonb) November 6, 2014
@theveindoc @comms2point0 @NHScommsorg comms,finance,HR & other corporate functions frees up clinicians time to do what they do best.
— Carrie-Ann Wade (@CrayonWW) November 6, 2014
@theveindoc @CrayonWW @NHScommsorg @comms2point0 if every news story on the NHS was honest & benefitted patients I may not be as required
— Adam Shepphard (@getdownshep) November 6, 2014
@comms2point0 @CrayonWW @NHScommsorg Of course but thats my point the NHS is hardly crying out for customers!
— theveindoc (@theveindoc) November 6, 2014
Can anyone point @theveindoc at some evidence that #comms is important in the NHS? @CrayonWW @NHScommsorg #nhssm #pr
— @comms2point0 (@comms2point0) November 6, 2014
@jongudmund all of which are core business for all nhs types. don;t delegate this stuff. #totalnhs @comms2point0
— Jon Beech (@_jonb) November 6, 2014
Dan Slee is co-founder of comms2point0