Excellence in Communications – Payers/Policy Makers

Summary of work

Neurological services have tended to be a late adopter of Department of Health quality improvement initiatives, with policymakers reaching them several years after they have addressed other conditions. This campaign helped change this, putting neurology at the front of the queue for the new NHS reform levers. By combining a stark message about the cost of service failure with a positive narrative about how the reforms could be applied to improve outcomes, the neurological community put forward a compelling, united view. The results could not be clearer: new national clinical leadership, strategic clinical networks and an impressive profile in the NHS. Neurology has gone from the back of the queue to the front.

Judges comments

This was an impressive, well co-ordinated campaign that demonstrated a very strong collaborative approach and showed great focus. We saw clear and measurable objectives and a good set of national outcomes that delivered real change in a difficult area.