Have you ever wondered what it's like to work in the busy communications team of a local NHS trust? No, I can't imagine you have - but I decided to write about it anyway after some sarcastic conversations about what we really do.
Some common faux pas, that we play on ourselves, are that we are the general query team, the Google stuff team, or even the IT reserve team. That said, we do try and be as helpful as possible to the wonderful NHS staff who are out there saving lives and making a vital difference. Hopefully this will give you a little bit of a tongue-in-cheek insight into my day.
Disclaimer: This is a typical, albeit particularly productive day (for dramatic effect). Things mentioned may or may not have happened exactly as recounted. Job titles may have been swapped about.
9am - Log in and boot up our social media tool along with NHS mail.
9:01 - Start with social media notifications. There's a lot but many are comments to leave for other account admins or ones that don't require actions, tick those off.
9:04 - Uh oh, an angry Tweet from a local councillor mentioning the Trust. After a quick research it turns out they've mixed us up with a similarly named local acute trust. Take mild satisfaction in correcting them.
9:08 - A patient has messaged on Facebook to ask for a service phone number, nice and easy! Check the service directory and send them the number. Feel good to have helped someone.
9:10 - NHS Mail finally decides to load. Grimace at the number of emails that have somehow accumulated overnight, then begin the assault of reading them - starting with those marked urgent.
9:11 - One of the urgent ones is from a health visitor. It's a wacky poster full of cartoons and word art, with the accompanying message: "Please can this be distributed as widely as possible to GPs and patients." I reply to check who the audience is and ask if they wouldn't mind putting it on one of our branded templates.
9:13 - Sifting through the rest of the emails: Advert, meant for IT, advert, mass email from NHS England concerning hospital trusts, request to set up new social media admin, event to promote on the intranet, idea for an upcoming press release, request for a 'comms person' to come and take pictures. Some relief at nothing too urgent.
9:20 - Open up a pre-drafted email due to go out to all staff this morning. Double check the content and wonder if it will have the desired effect of persuading hard-pressed staff to complete a survey. Does it have endorsement from the right director? Is it quirky yet informative? Have I copied everyone in?
9:26 - Health visitor rings up about the aforementioned poster and discussion ensues. They say the audience is 'everyone'. They also spent a long time on this and really insist that it has these pictures. I call for back up from our graphic designers.
9:30 - Send out the global email as intended and start next task - drafting a press release about a new initiative which launches in a fortnight.
9:47 - A vacant phone rings. A few uneasy glances are exchanged as to who should pick up. Feeling helpful, I take this one. It's John from some advertising company we palmed off last month, he wants to speak to the comms manager. I say she's not available and ask if I can help. He repeats that it would be best to speak to the comms manager, but tells me anyway. I ask if he could send it through email. He informs me it would be easier over the phone, even suggesting I check her diary. I make up an excuse.
9:55 - Suddenly remember to respond to an email from the other day. A children's nursing team has requested a new Facebook page and they make a very good case for it. I contact the team to arrange to meet for admin training and to set up permissions etc.
10:03 - Time for a coffee and an announcement of some weird news headlines, then back on with the press release.
Some common faux pas, that we play on ourselves, are that we are the general query team, the Google stuff team, or even the IT reserve team. That said, we do try and be as helpful as possible to the wonderful NHS staff who are out there saving lives and making a vital difference. Hopefully this will give you a little bit of a tongue-in-cheek insight into my day.
Disclaimer: This is a typical, albeit particularly productive day (for dramatic effect). Things mentioned may or may not have happened exactly as recounted. Job titles may have been swapped about.
9am - Log in and boot up our social media tool along with NHS mail.
9:01 - Start with social media notifications. There's a lot but many are comments to leave for other account admins or ones that don't require actions, tick those off.
9:04 - Uh oh, an angry Tweet from a local councillor mentioning the Trust. After a quick research it turns out they've mixed us up with a similarly named local acute trust. Take mild satisfaction in correcting them.
9:08 - A patient has messaged on Facebook to ask for a service phone number, nice and easy! Check the service directory and send them the number. Feel good to have helped someone.
9:10 - NHS Mail finally decides to load. Grimace at the number of emails that have somehow accumulated overnight, then begin the assault of reading them - starting with those marked urgent.
9:11 - One of the urgent ones is from a health visitor. It's a wacky poster full of cartoons and word art, with the accompanying message: "Please can this be distributed as widely as possible to GPs and patients." I reply to check who the audience is and ask if they wouldn't mind putting it on one of our branded templates.
9:13 - Sifting through the rest of the emails: Advert, meant for IT, advert, mass email from NHS England concerning hospital trusts, request to set up new social media admin, event to promote on the intranet, idea for an upcoming press release, request for a 'comms person' to come and take pictures. Some relief at nothing too urgent.
9:20 - Open up a pre-drafted email due to go out to all staff this morning. Double check the content and wonder if it will have the desired effect of persuading hard-pressed staff to complete a survey. Does it have endorsement from the right director? Is it quirky yet informative? Have I copied everyone in?
9:26 - Health visitor rings up about the aforementioned poster and discussion ensues. They say the audience is 'everyone'. They also spent a long time on this and really insist that it has these pictures. I call for back up from our graphic designers.
9:30 - Send out the global email as intended and start next task - drafting a press release about a new initiative which launches in a fortnight.
9:47 - A vacant phone rings. A few uneasy glances are exchanged as to who should pick up. Feeling helpful, I take this one. It's John from some advertising company we palmed off last month, he wants to speak to the comms manager. I say she's not available and ask if I can help. He repeats that it would be best to speak to the comms manager, but tells me anyway. I ask if he could send it through email. He informs me it would be easier over the phone, even suggesting I check her diary. I make up an excuse.
9:55 - Suddenly remember to respond to an email from the other day. A children's nursing team has requested a new Facebook page and they make a very good case for it. I contact the team to arrange to meet for admin training and to set up permissions etc.
10:03 - Time for a coffee and an announcement of some weird news headlines, then back on with the press release.
10:18 - Another phone call. Someone from HR says they would really like a video. I ask about their ideas, who it's aimed at and if they have a budget - they don't. I explain what's needed and that it could be a lengthy project, so it needs to be worthwhile. They say that they would really like a video. I make a mental note to set up a proper request form with guidance.
10:26 - A colleague informs me that an NHS Choices comment has been received (via email notification), it's positive! I type a thank you and hit respond, then forward on to the service manager to share with the staff responsible. I wonder about the other excellent work going on across the Trust that staff are too modest to shout about.
10:35 - A series of staff wander into the communications office. The first one has a round of amends on a patient leaflet they want to leave with the graphic designers; the second has called in for an opportunistic hello while dropping some papers in the confidential waste bin outside.
10:40 - The third staff member is accompanied by a senior board official, who they are showing around. They gesture in my direction to ask if said board official could have their picture taken for the website and such. I awkwardly set up a white screen while making small talk and trying to seem like a professional photographer.
10:51 - Just as I've taken the pictures off the camera, the phone rings again. It's a podiatrist asking if we're doing anything on Facebook for 'ingrown toenail awareness day', which is tomorrow. I have a think about how I've missed such a pivotal campaign and what interesting content could go out.
10:54 - While I'm thinking about it, may as take a look at some other things to put on social media over the coming weeks. I try to schedule them at times people are likely to be procrastinating and will see them.
11:18 - Notified that we have a meeting in 12 minutes. Wonder if I'll ever get that press release finished.
11:24 - The meeting's in six minutes so I may as well procrastinate. Anything useful trending on Twitter? Any new dog videos doing the rounds?
11:30 - Team meeting to discuss an upcoming campaign. I throw in a great idea or two, along with some daft ones for good measure.
12:16 - How do I have so many new emails? I click on one, the sender has requested a read receipt. I chuckle at the audacity. Not today, Satan.
12:18 - Another email seems to be asking for 5,500 staff to be informed about window cleaning in one of the buildings. This person also has their bachelor degree title in their email signature, as if to add more validity to the ridiculousness.
12:26 - Answer a few more emails which have a quick response, for the feel good factor.
13:02 - Finally get the press release done! Now it just needs approval from the service...
13:05 - Procrastinate a little bit more. Realise it's probably because I'm hungry, time for lunch.
So there's the pre-lunch escapades of a standard day, for the few of you who were wondering. Stay tuned for some post-lunch shenanigans that clear up more faux pas.
10:26 - A colleague informs me that an NHS Choices comment has been received (via email notification), it's positive! I type a thank you and hit respond, then forward on to the service manager to share with the staff responsible. I wonder about the other excellent work going on across the Trust that staff are too modest to shout about.
10:35 - A series of staff wander into the communications office. The first one has a round of amends on a patient leaflet they want to leave with the graphic designers; the second has called in for an opportunistic hello while dropping some papers in the confidential waste bin outside.
10:40 - The third staff member is accompanied by a senior board official, who they are showing around. They gesture in my direction to ask if said board official could have their picture taken for the website and such. I awkwardly set up a white screen while making small talk and trying to seem like a professional photographer.
10:51 - Just as I've taken the pictures off the camera, the phone rings again. It's a podiatrist asking if we're doing anything on Facebook for 'ingrown toenail awareness day', which is tomorrow. I have a think about how I've missed such a pivotal campaign and what interesting content could go out.
10:54 - While I'm thinking about it, may as take a look at some other things to put on social media over the coming weeks. I try to schedule them at times people are likely to be procrastinating and will see them.
11:18 - Notified that we have a meeting in 12 minutes. Wonder if I'll ever get that press release finished.
11:24 - The meeting's in six minutes so I may as well procrastinate. Anything useful trending on Twitter? Any new dog videos doing the rounds?
11:30 - Team meeting to discuss an upcoming campaign. I throw in a great idea or two, along with some daft ones for good measure.
12:16 - How do I have so many new emails? I click on one, the sender has requested a read receipt. I chuckle at the audacity. Not today, Satan.
12:18 - Another email seems to be asking for 5,500 staff to be informed about window cleaning in one of the buildings. This person also has their bachelor degree title in their email signature, as if to add more validity to the ridiculousness.
12:26 - Answer a few more emails which have a quick response, for the feel good factor.
13:02 - Finally get the press release done! Now it just needs approval from the service...
13:05 - Procrastinate a little bit more. Realise it's probably because I'm hungry, time for lunch.
So there's the pre-lunch escapades of a standard day, for the few of you who were wondering. Stay tuned for some post-lunch shenanigans that clear up more faux pas.