PRImage

New Government’s ambitious legislative programme – PRimage comment

May 25th, 2010

We’ve just finished listening to the Queen’s Speech.

Our view: the coalition is taking on an ambitious and challenging political programme! But we wish them success. David Cameron’s Con-Lib government aims to enact 22 separate bills over an 18-month period, as it attempts to build on the early goodwill towards the coalition. Nick Clegg will preside over a range of political reforms, including fixed-term parliaments and a bill to hold a referendum on changing the Westminster voting system to the so-called “alternative vote”.

Our interest as a healthcare communications agency means that we were looking for steers on the NHS. So, particularly important for health was that the voice of patients and the role of doctors in decision-making will be strengthened, with the aim of improving public health as well as reducing health inequalities. A Health Bill is expected to begin its legislative process in 2011. So there are sure to be a number of consultations to respond to - and plenty of opportunities for engagement in the coming months as the content of the Bill is decided. PRimage is looking forward to this - and to factor in our client’s interests and viewpoints.

MD, Judy Viitanen, is pleased that the overall thrust of the programme indicates that both the Tories and LibDems share a common interest in devolving power over public services to local people. We also give a ‘thumbs up’ for the news that the legislative programme include plans to create an Office of Budget Responsibility to produce independent economic forecasts and a shake-up of City regulation, giving the Bank of England greater powers in maintaining economic stability.

As a specialist healthcare public affairs and PR consultant, Judy is reassured that the Treasury has confirmed that the Department of Health’s overall spending will not be reduced in the current financial year. The Chancellor has announced £6.2bn would be saved from government spending during 2010-11, but none would come from the DoH. Health will have to make additional efficiency savings but they will be reinvested within the department.

For sure there will be tough and difficult times ahead; but the PM and deputy PM are right to focus on reducing the huge deficit as the most crucial challenge. We will be seeing an interesting 18-months of politics ahead ……..

No Comments »

Beat bullying! Saving Lives Campaign – PRimage comment

May 21st, 2010

This terrible news story today – ‘Schoolboy, 15, hangs himself after ‘being plagued by bullies’ http://bit.ly/dxZhDg - highlights the urgent need for the new coalition government to take action and deal with the issue of bullying, especially in schools.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6dbJk4i0VY – Saving lives campaigning documentary is lobbying for affirmations in schools, to help deal with bullying and racism!

To find out more and to lend your support to this campaign, please contact: saving_lives@hotmail.co.uk or judy@primage.org

anti-bullying

1 Comment »

Coalition’s poll ratings and appointment of Field as ‘poverty tsar’ - PRimage comment

May 16th, 2010

PRimage believes that David Cameron has made an excellent decision in appointing the Labour MP Frank Field as the Government’s ‘poverty tsar’. Cameron is clearly putting the fight against deprivation at the heart of his agenda. As a compassionate Conservative, Judy Viitanen thinks this is exactly the right approach, and is very relieved to hear that Mr Field has been asked to lead a major review into levels of poverty across Britain. He is also expected to study how poverty should be measured in the future.

Field is a long-time champion of welfare reform, and an MP that Judy really admires!

PRimage is also pleased to see that a new ICM opinion poll published this morning shows a high level of public support for Mr Cameron’s coalition administration – and for its key policies on tax and political reform. Almost two-thirds of voters (64 per cent) thought that the Lib-Con coalition was the right way forward for Britain after the general election resulted in a hung parliament. It was backed by 87 per cent of those who voted Tory this month and 77 per cent of Lib Dem voters.

Overall, the Conservatives have gained one point since the election and are supported by 38 per cent of the public. The Lib Dems, by contrast, have slipped significantly, down three points to 21 per cent. Labour have gained three points to 33 per cent.

Let’s hope that this “trust” between the Tories and the Lib Dems and the electorate continues! However, PRimage hopes that Cameron will keep to his Conservative pledges on defence, immigration and Europe. Watch this space.

3 Comments »

Conservative Manifesto – PRimage comment

April 14th, 2010

Judy Viitanen has been reviewing the Tories election manifesto - ‘Invitation to Join the Government of Britain’ – and is liking what she reads!

As a specialist healthcare consultancy, PRimage is interested in the plans to strengthen the power of GPs as patients’ expert guides through the health system by putting them in charge of commissioning local health services and giving them power to hold patients’ budgets. It’s encouraging to learn that the Party will ensure that funding decisions are made on the basis of need, and commissioning decisions according to evidence-based quality standards, by creating an independent NHS board to allocate resources and provide commissioning guidelines.

We also think that it’s great that the Conservatives recognise the input of the UK’s millions of carers, who look after relatives. Their plans will support carers, and those they look after, by providing direct payments to help with care needs and by improving access to respite care.

The Tories five main headline commitments for health:

1. Give patients more choice

Putting patients in charge of making decisions about their care, including control of their health records; spreading the use of the NHS tariff, so funding follows patients’ choices; and, making sure good performance is rewarded by implementing a payment by results system.

2. Trust healthcare professionals

The Conservatives intend to scrap the politically-motivated targets that have no clinical justification. They will set NHS providers free to innovate by ensuring that they become autonomous Foundation Trusts. They will cut the cost of NHS administration by a third and transfer resources to support doctors and nurses on the frontline.

3. Increase access to vital drugs and services

They will stop the forced closure of A&E and maternity wards, so that people have better access to local services, and give mothers a real choice over where to have their baby, with NHS funding following their decisions. We will create local ‘maternity networks’ to ensure that mothers can safely access the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

4. Take control of your care

They will devolve control over health budgets to the lowest possible level, “For people with a chronic illness or a long-term condition, we will provide access to a single budget that combines their health and social care funding, which they can tailor to their own needs.” They will also support carers, and those they look after, by providing direct payments to help with care needs and by improving access to respite care

5. A healthier nation

The Department of Health will become a Department for Public Health so that the promotion of good health and prevention of illness get the attention they need. They will also:

· Introduce a health premium – weighting public health funding towards the poorest areas with the worst health outcomes;

· Enable welfare-to-work providers and employers to purchase services from

· Mental Health Trusts; and,

· Increase access to effective ‘talking’ therapies.

No Comments »

HEALTH POLICIES - PRimage view and comment

April 9th, 2010

As the General Election campaign gets underway, the three main political parties have outlined their key policies and targets for health. PRimage has reviewed these - and for Judy Viitanen and the team, our vote goes to the Conservatives. We totally agree with their view that the NHS under Labour has been totally target driven. This has to change!

Read the summary below and let us know your views.

CONSERVATIVE HEALTH POLICY

The party says that “we can’t go on with an NHS that puts targets before patients”

Specific health policies and targets

Scrapping all politically-motivated process targets

Putting more detailed NHS performance data online

Improving cancer and stroke survival rates

Enabling patients to rate hospitals and doctors

Giving anyone the power to choose any healthcare provider that meets NHS standards

Opening up the NHS to new independent and voluntary sector providers

Linking GPs’ pay to the quality of the results they deliver

LABOUR HEALTH POLICY

Labour believes the NHS is its “greatest achievement”

Specific health targets if the party is re-elected:

Working to eliminate mixed sex accommodation in hospitals

Rolling out a national programme of vascular checks for everyone aged between 40 and 74.

To prevent at least 9,500 heart attacks and strokes every year and save 2,000 lives.

Extending the ages at which adults are screened so that an additional 500,000 women will be screened for breast cancer.

2 million men and women will be screened for bowel cancer

Training 3,600 more new psychological therapists to treat people with depression and anxiety.

Reduce the numbers on sick leave and benefits.

Giving every 11 to 14-year-old hands-on cooking lessons from 2011 to help reduce childhood obesity

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS HEALTH POLICY

Specific health policies:

Giving people control over their local health services

Introducing patient contracts

Improving access to GPs around the clock

Abolishing strategic health authorities

Universal care payments for those over 65 who require personal care

Closing medical wards and sending staff home during super bug outbreaks

No Comments »

NAO REPORT ON THE PHARMACY CONTRACTUAL FRAMEWORK – PRIMAGE COMMENT

April 6th, 2010

PRimage has been looking at the National Audit Office report - The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework and the Retained Medicines Margin - which examines the financial impact of the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework since its inception in April 2005. http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/0910/community_pharmacy.aspx

Judy Viitanen has been mulling over the report’s two key findings, which are:

· There has been a cost saving to the NHS of around £1.8 billion over the period 2005-06 to 2008-09 by comparison with a counterfactual scenario of retaining the pre-Framework remuneration and medicines pricing arrangements. The saving has arisen principally because, under the new Framework, the reimbursement prices paid to pharmacies for a number of commonly dispensed medicines have been reduced.

· The productivity of pharmacies, with respect to core dispensing work, has also increased by 8 per cent over the four years 2005-06 to 2008-09. In 2005-06, the total volume of medicines dispensed by pharmacy contractors was 679 million items, and total payments to contractors were £1.975 billion. By 2008-09, the number of items dispensed had increased by 17 per cent, to 795 million, for an increase in total payments of 8 per cent in real terms, to £2.418 billion. In addition, pharmacies are now delivering new services, such as repeat dispensing, health promotion services and support for self care that were not available prior to the Framework.

We are interested to see that the NAO also found that since 2005, the retained margin has been exceeded by £1.1 billion. However, it is recognised by the Department of Health and the NAO that reduced expenditure on pharmacy over this period could have threatened the viability of community pharmacy. They noted that the excess margin is a product of incentives in the system encouraging pharmacy to drive down the purchasing price and due to the limited information available about the cost of pharmacy when the margin was set.

In addition to the current Cost of Service Inquiry, the NAO has made recommendations to the Department of Health, which included that it should:

· Be more timely in making adjustments to reimbursement prices for generic medicines to manage the level of retained margin. We understand that the Department’s intention is to move to a process of rolling invoice surveys, which should facilitate this. However, the Department should also use evidence from other sources, such as average ex-factory prices, to make adjustments if necessary.

· Continue to work with recognised experts in survey design and analysis to maintain and improve the invoice survey. In particular, whilst the response rate has improved considerably since the inception of the Framework, the Department should take steps to ensure high response rates continue in future.

· Present the arrangements for funding the Framework more explicitly. If the Department believes that the target level of margin is likely to be exceeded every year due to the operation of ‘regulatory lag’, this should be made clear, and the implications for expenditure on pharmacy services and medicines should be set out.

1 Comment »

GENERAL ELECTION MAY 6th: TIME TO DECIDE – PRIMAGE COMMENT

April 6th, 2010

Now that the Prime Minister has announced this morning that the General Election will be held on Thursday 6 May it’s important that the electorate concentrates on the key issues facing this country – and evaluates which of the political parties has the right vision. For Judy and the PRimage team the choice is David Cameron and the Conservatives.

www.rockthevote.com – PRimage supports this campaign to get young people motivated to vote.

No Comments »

PRimage comment on the Power of PR

March 31st, 2010

Every business can benefit from public relations - it encourages people to talk and think about your brand in a positive way, building reputation, image and goodwill. PR should be a vital weapon in your business armoury, to enhance your commercial and professional image - and so help to increase sales. It’s also a cost-effective way to get good publicity without advertising. And if there’s a problem facing your business it helps you deal with it effectively.

These standard PR tools will help you tell your story:

· Press release - a prepared statement of fact and comment - for example, a new product launch or service

· News feature - detailed information on a news-worthy topic relating to the area in which you operate

· Picture caption - brief descriptive caption alongside a photograph.

· Letters-to-editor - react to news or editorial features, or letters from other readers.

· Opinion articles and columns - By establishing yourself as an expert, you will quickly develop strong working relationships with your media.

Tips for writing effective press releases

Your press releases must be short and to the point to attract journalists’ attention. Make them pithy, lively, relevant and free of jargon or hyperbole. Tell the basic story in the first paragraph. Journalists call it the five W’s - Who, What, When, Where and Why.

Media relations

Keep a record of key media and contacts, plus their editorial deadlines. Call them and introduce yourself and get your name in their contacts book as a source of expert comment! Keep a guard book of your press cuttings coverage.

Send your press release by email, post or fax to the news desk. If journalists ask for more details cooperate - and work to their timescales.

Press release ideas

All releases need a strong ‘hook’ – an angle that will give your story reader appeal. Exploit your company’s natural PR opportunities - the opening of new premises, or a milestone event. Have you received an accolade or won an industry award? Don’t forget one of your best assets – your staff. Have any employees been recognised for outstanding achievements? Monitor industry and business news into which you can hook.

Publicity tips:

· develop a newsletter

· join an organisation - become a figurehead

· organise competitions in cooperation with a relevant magazine or local paper

· network: talk to national and local opinion-formers

Get a website

The first thing journalists do when they receive a release is to look at your website.

Make sure it’s informative and impactful!

Look at your competition

What do they have that you haven’t? What are they doing that you are neglecting?

Social media and networking sites

Online networking, social media and digital PR messaging are powerful! Search engine optimisation targets those actively looking for your services, while social media takes your services to the people. Ensure a well-rounded internet PR strategy encompassing both sets of tools

Finally, the best PR is the recommendation of a satisfied customer, so encourage loyal customers to spread the word!

With minimal financial outlay and a little hard graft, you can achieve positive publicity for your business. So, develop media contacts, communicate PR messages succinctly, build on your successes, use social media and consider employing a PR agency, such as PRimage, for more ambitious projects. Email Judy Viitanen for more information: judy@primage.org

standout11

1 Comment »

Health Committee report on Commissioning - PRimage comment

March 30th, 2010

Judy Viitanen and PRimage are interested to see that today the Health Committee has published its report on Commissioning. It is particularly critical of PCTs’ records, citing a lack of skills, reorganisation, high staff turnover and limited clinical knowledge as some of the weaknesses. PRimage totally agree with the HSC comment that the trusts’ perceptions of how they were performing were often removed from reality, and we believe that the MPs are right to be concerned about ‘complacency’ among NHS managers.We also feel that the purchaser/provider split and the Government’s commissioning policies need reviewing – and as such the report’s comments that they ‘may need to be abolished’ if research proves they are ‘uneconomic’ is spot-on!

Kevin Barron, Chair of the Health Committee, described commissioning as, “a disappointment” over the past 20 years.

The report also highlights the challenges faced in moving towards more community based services. Commenting: “The weakness of commissioners faced by powerful providers means that reforms have threatened to undermine some of the Government’s key aims, such as switching care from hospitals to the community.”

The report concluded ‘whatever the anecdotal local evidence, the headline national figures suggest that PCTs made little or no in-road in 2008–09 to transferring care from hospitals into the community or in dampening demand, either in terms of investment or activity’.”

Judy has been assessing the report’s key conclusions and recommendations - in particular:

Commissioning for specialised services: Insufficient progress has been made on implementing the Carter Review of specialised commissioning for rare diseases and conditions. Many PCTs remain disengaged from specialised commissioning and the coming period of financial restraint could threaten funding in this area.

Weaknesses of commissioning: Commissioners do not have adequate levers to enable them to motivate providers of hospital and other services. The HSC recommend that the DH commission a quantitative study of what levers should be introduced to enable PCTs to motivate providers of services better and a review of contracts to ensure that rigid, enforceable quality and efficiency measures are written into all contracts with providers of health care.

Government’s attempts to improve commissioning: Commissioning cannot be improved in isolation. PCTs need to have more power in dealing with providers. It needs to be able to offer more evidence-based financial incentives to providers to improve relations. The HSC recommend that the Government institute a rigorous quantitative assessment of what levers should be introduced to enable PCTs to motivate providers of services.

No Comments »

NAO REPORT ON THE PHARMACY CONTRACTUAL FRAMEWORK – PRIMAGE COMMENT

Categories

Archives

Blogroll

Meta

Feeds