Winner
Our NHS: Exposing ‘Secret Plans’, Mobilising Public Engagement
Summary of work
In 2015, NHS England announced 44 Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs). Despite the importance of STPs to the future of healthcare delivery, by August 2016 little effort had been made to engage the public in the process, to explain why change was necessary, or what the implications of change might be. Many STPs did not even have a website and media coverage was limited to behind-paywall specialist publications.
38 Degrees became increasingly concerned that the development of STPs behind closed doors would undermine public support for the NHS and lead to services implementing irreversible changes without public consent.
Following an audit of draft STPs, 38 Degrees launched a concerted media campaign to expose the planned changes to the NHS to political pressure and to persuade NHS leaders to engage the public. As well as running as the splash in the Guardian and the Independent, it featured prominently in the Telegraph, the Sun and the Daily Mirror. The story secured the 7.10am slot on the BBC Today Programme and led the BBC lunchtime news. On social media, the campaign achieved 155,632 engagements in two weeks, whilst the petition calling for the Health Secretary to publish STPs was signed by 286,969 people.
Judges’ comments
We really liked this extremely impressive campaign with phenomenal results. Incisive Health and 38 Degrees put together in depth research with a tailored message. They translated media scrutiny into policy action in this multi-faceted campaign.
