NHS Public Relations and Customer Care Policy

NHS Public Relations and Customer C be Policy intromissionPublic transaction be an indirect imprint of sales pauperism a psychology coated advertising pill. According to the constitute of Public Relations1, human beings traffic argon defined as the thrifty planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain uncouth arrangement between an organisation and its general. Presently in the UK (United Kingdom) close health conduct providers are managed by the NHS ( national health Service) the largest public emolument organisation in Europe. Therefore the direction this report get out take is as follows (1) to check up on the draw principles of public traffics and customer care (2) to analyse how a public service organisation deals with public dealing in specific how the NHS deals with public transaction and (3) to examine the customer care policy of the NHS.The key principles of public relations and customer careAccording to H completely (1971)2, public relatio ns are based on the following key principlesThe corporation and customers or prospective customers the primary objective being to create a good public image and the secondary objectives being(1) Selling the company, by securing and maintaining public goodwill(2) Unobtrusively advertising the product or service sold(3) Increasing sales and profits, and paying higher dividends to the shareholders.2. The company and shareholders or prospective shareholders It is also importantthat the company should maintain good relations with its shareholders and withthe placeing public at large, for the following reasons(1) The shareholders as owners of the company, are empower to instructionconcerning its activities.(2) It is essential to keep the shareholders contented, as they are aprospective source of capital if the company wishes to develop at some futuredate.(3) The investing public at large is more(prenominal) likely to invest in a company withwhich it has good relations.3. The comp any and its employees individualnel relations and public relations arecomplementary. A companys manipulation of its employees is an important factor inenhancing or dimming its public image. Therefore it is unsubstantial to spend money onan elaborate public relations surgical incision and so ignore the basic principles ofgood somebodynel relations.Arens (1999)3 agrees but argues that there are four other principles4. Communities courtesy and friendly support towards the organisations fastneighbours strengthens the ties between the organisation and its neighbours.5. Media press packets, briefings, and facilitating access to organisationnews makers hit trust and goodwill.6. Government a desire for favourable legislation and subsidies are good reasonswhy organisations should earn and maintain the goodwill and trust of thegovernment.The systems and procedures involved in dealing with public relationsThe size of an organisation and the fibre of business it is often determines the methods of public relations to be consumptiond e.g. striking companies are more inclined to take up their own public relations department which contrasts with sm every last(predicate) companies which would most likely outsource public relations consultants. If an organisation desires external public relations cease be achieved done anyone of the following methodsPress relations, comprising press releases and nonices relating to the companys activities.Exhibitions and trade fairsTelevision and radio are used for public relations as well as for advertising. localise consumer contacts this is a personal approach to improving public relations and is all about implementing goodwill to others in an attempt at public relations success.Literature produced in various printed forms ranging from journals to an organisation hi story.Eye-catching functions used to crystalize public nonice, e.g. The sponsorship of sports events such as the annual walk against breast cancer. undet ermined days the public (inclusive of employees families) is invited to visit the organisations premises this helps promote personnel relations.The National health ServiceThe National wellness Service of the UK is divided into two divisions England and Wales, and Northern Ireland. The National wellness Service has outlined for the both regions all the personnel who will fall chthonic its umbrella as followsEngland and Wales4A Patients Forum established chthonian slit 15 of the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions turn 2002.Any person providing primary medical take a crap or primary dental work In accordance with arrangements made under section 28C of the National Health Service Act 1977 orUnder a contract under section 28K or 28Q of that Actin look on of selective information relating to the formulation of those function.Any person providing normal medical service, general dental run, general ophthalmic services or pharmaceutical services under give way II of the National Health Service Act 1977, in view of information relating to the provision of those services.Any person providing personal medical services or personal dental services under arrangements made under section 28C of the National Health Service Act 1977, in respect of information relating to the provision of those services.Any person providing local pharmaceutical services under A pilot stratagem established under section 28 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 orAn LPS scheme established under Schedule 8A to the National Health Service Act 1977 (c 49),in respect of information relating to the provision of those services.Northern IrelandAny person providing primary medical services, general dental services, general ophthalmic services or pharmaceutical services under Part VI of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972, in respect of information relating to the provision of those services.Customer Care PolicyDavis (2003 p. 47) 5 secerns that patients are consumers of medical services and deserve customer care. He believes that customer care is critical specially for professionals such as surgeons and dentists and that customer care creates opportunities for the customers to be informed and form judgements. According to Davis, customers pay for what they buzz off and as he explains, patients do have family and friends who from a critical public that directly affect the organisations re put ination. Therefore if patients receive ill treatment the organisation is likely to have a unspeakable reputation which would most likely lead to a loss of guestle to competition. Good customer care is also essential when dealing with patients, as this can affect the direction which a grant top executive take. In particular the NHS has a rating system which encourages feedback which it then uses to rectify its quality of customer service.Systems and Procedures in relation to communication with the mediaMedia specia lists are conscious(predicate) of the requirements, preferences, limitations, and strengths of the various media used to serve the client. They find the right media for clients messages (Baran, 2002)6. In public relations the accounting, legal and medical professions have had little success in policing their own members. Therefore one should ask what should be done to keep on misleading and dishonest communications from going to the public? The International familiarity of Businesses Communicators have laid down a code of employ which states that Members of IABC will engage in truthful, spotless and fair communication that facilitates respect and mutual understandingK Accoding to Horton (2002)7, the fact is that what a chief operating officer fatalitys, a chief executive officer gets. Sometimes a board of directors has the power to stop a chief executive officer from making false statements or misleading customers, investors, regulators and others. save, let the cat out of the bag blowers do not fare well, and it takes a great deal of evidence for a whistle blower to prove that a corporation has engaged in wrong action or misleading communication. Further, even though one is personally ethical, executives can sanction and encourage unethical activity. This puts a strain on one to go along or get out. Unfortunately, it is usually easier to go along, and there are rewards for doing so. There are many ways that a CEO can corrupt a company, but one of the most insidious is the goals that the CEO sets.Horton explains that defend an unpopular person, governing body or place in the media is a tough PR challenge. He expounds that unlike a court of law where molds of argumentation and fact apply, PR practitioners face uncontrolled media, citizen rumours, political opinion, falsehoods and conclusions based on partial fact. Public relations in such times can be thankless and a losing effort. Yet, as he puts it, successful defence can be a line of achievem ent high evince. Practitioners learn what they are made of and how well they have recognise communications.Horton has laid down some rules for dealing with the media as followsThe first rule of defending the indefensible is to start with and stick to facts as much as possible. Unfortunately, in many, if not most situations, facts are missing or incomplete. Facts put to rest speculation and opinion, and they stop a natural tendency to adopt there is more behind an issue or event than meets the eye. This mean PR practitioners should be trained in gathering and checking facts quickly then getting them out fast to interested parties. However, facts can tell an unattractive story, a story that an individual and/or organization do not want to have told. In addition, facts may tell stories that must not be narrated because of personal, political or other confidentiality. PR practitioners often know more than can be said to journalists, and journalists are dedicated to conclusion out what practitioners cannot say.SilencePR practitioners are taught that lock up is harmful. During a crisis, they are told that individuals or organizations must do something with media calls, skittish investors, unhappy suppliers, fearful employees and grandstanding regulators. But silence is not always harmful. There are times when silence is best even though others talk about you, especially when defending unpopular individuals, organizations or issues. An old clich attributed to British royalty is, Never complain, never explain. This stiff-upper-lip approach covered up many activities that royalty did not want to expose to public scrutiny. It worked for decades until U.K. media in search of circulation boosts broke a gouge of silence about the doings of the palace. Nonetheless, silence helps whenPressure to speak is not intense If the public, regulators, media and others are not pushing to get answers, it qualification work well not to volunteer them.When the issue might be a passing one If an issue arises that is a one-day headline, no comment might suffice.When there is nothing one can say. The only justifiable scene may be confession and remorse.When speaking makes the situation worse.SpeedIt is a basic PR rule to get out factual information as quickly as possible. Delay is a mistake that happens similarly frequently because of internal battles, concerns for liability and dictates of privacy. Some speed techniques are understand No comment, and follow orders.Deliver some kind of statement, even if unforesightful I have been instructed to tell you. That is all that I can say at this time.Let another take over.Fight hard turn around the emerging media stories and go to the CEO to make a forceful plate for what is happening to the firms reputation by failing to chance on the facts speedily.Resign This is an extreme option unless a company or CEO is so far in the wrong that a practitioner can be considered complicit by acting as a spokesperson.D amage haltWhen compelling facts are not readily available, practitioners must use hurt control to defend the indefensible individual or organization.Refutation samara a story as false. One attacks the teller of the story ( plow the source.) and the story itself as meaningless, incredible, impossible or illogical.Confirmation Praise the person and story that favour your side. (X is an honourable man. He would never lie.) rail line that a story is possible, probably, logical and fitting. (From our wide-awake reconstruction, this is the way that events unfolded.) Of course, even though X is an honourable man, he might sometimes lie and careful reconstructions of stories might be logical and wrong.Vituperation This has a more mod name character assassination. Its an all-out effort to discredit somebody making allegations by going after the persons heritage, education, background, life-style or whatever it takes to take away the individuals believability in the eyes of target audiences.Appeal to character This is an effort to pulp the image of an individual and cast doubt on allegations against that person. Appeals to character use all of the techniques of vituperation but puts a positive spin on them.Diversion Create a secondary issue that obscures the first issue. A popular movie came out a few years agone that illustrated how to do this by creating a phony war. The film, Wag the Dog, was a misanthropic portrayal of how Washington political communications work.Comments and ConclusionDefence of an unpopular individual, organization or point of view is probably no more successful than defending an accused in a courtroom. However, because the media and society do not follow strict rules of argumentation or precedent, the chances of a story getting away from the practitioner are greater. (Caywood, 1997)8When companies and individuals have been destroyed by negative publicity, only to be vindicated later, they can never date back what they have lost. T here is little recourse in the law for such outcomes. One can sue for libel, but if the facts of a case were accurate to the time they were presented, there was no libel. One is a victim of circumstances. The PR practitioners job, insofar as the practitioner is able, is to balance scholarship enough to take pressure off an individual or organization or, if possible, to refute allegations. There is no chance of success unless one tries. It is haughty that public relations departments and personnel remember that they are the main point of contact for radio and television stations, newspapers, and magazines.Footnotes1 Institute of Public Relations, Guide to the practice of public relations2 Hall L., (1971, p. 288) Business Administration, 3rd Edition, MacDonald and Evans Ltd.3 Arens W.F., (1999) Contemporary advertising, Irwin McGraw-Hill4National Health Service http//www.foi.gov.uk/coverage.htmpart3http//www.foi.gov.uk/coverage.htmpart3 Online Source 15/05/065 Davis A., (2003) Every thing You Should Know About Public Relations, summon Kogan6 Baran S.J., (2002) Introduction to Mass Communication Maedia, Literacy, and Culture, McGraw Hill7 Horton J.L., () The ethics question http//www.online-pr.com/ place/TheEthicsQuandaryARTICLE.pdf Online Source 15/05/068 Caywood C.L., (1997) The Handbook of Strategic Public Relations and merged Communications, McGraw Hill