David Cameron’s focus on healthcare has been very clear since pre-election campaigning kicked off in January, when the BBC reported that the NHS was Cameron’s “number one priority”. At this point, the health service was also a priority for the wider Conservative Party, with the NHS ranked as the fourth most important policy area. But have the recent internal affairs of the party affected this?
Posts Tagged ‘NHS’
Conservative policy: Unhealthy contradictions?
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010Are anti-pharma attitudes affecting UK clinical trial development?
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010Recent data published in the Financial Times has highlighted a significant decline in the number of clinical trials conducted in the UK. According to Department of Health figures, the number of UK trials has fallen by 258 in the past year alone (728 in 2008 to 470 in 2009). The FT put this down to bureaucracy, low recruitment rates and the slow uptake of new drugs in the UK. But could anti-pharma attitudes also be playing a role in the fall in rates?
Public Affairs breakfast briefing with Shadow Health Minister Mark Simmonds
Monday, November 9th, 2009With the Conservative Party consistently ahead in opinion polls, solid approval ratings for its leader and the widespread respect of the media, there is a strong likelihood that there will be a Conservative government by June 2010. With this in mind, Virgo HEALTH and public affairs partner Open Road hosted a breakfast briefing with Mark Simmonds, the Conservative Shadow Health Minister, acknowledging that successful public relations and public affairs strategy depends on comprehensive, well-informed scenario planning.
NHS organ donation ad: It’s powerful but is it effective?
Monday, November 2nd, 2009Tonight the NHS launches a television advertisement campaign which aims to encourage members of the public to register for organ donation. Watch the NHS organ donation advert here and see for yourself. While it is shocking, it’s not quite as hard hitting as cigarette packet warnings or road safety campaigns, mostly because a lot is left to the imagination. The campaign needs a little less ‘kick’ since the image of somebody’s health quickly deteriorating resonates with so many of us – we’re all likely to have been there at some point…
Health 2.0: Is the Wii Change4Life partnership a sign of things to come?
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who has played a Nintendo Wii and not enjoyed it. But now the Wii Fit Plus will be sold carrying the NHS Change4Life logo, the fun of gameplay has officially become more than just a bit of a laugh with the kids. Is this the first sign that the idea of ‘Health 2.0’ is now really starting to take off in the mainstream?
NHS workers unfairly suspended for Facebook game?
Friday, September 11th, 2009The stereotypical doctor is austere, authoritative and certainly not the kind of character who would play pranks while on duty. So when NHS workers in a Swindon hospital were suspended this week for taking amusing photos of each other as part of a Facebook game, they betrayed this perhaps rather outdated view on how doctors and healthcare professionals should act. But did they really do anything wrong?
