Contextual management factors and not the crisis itself drove the experience of NHS communicators during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Breathtaking, the three-part ITV drama series, pays tribute to the sacrifices made by NHS staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing the reality of hospital life in the face of momentous challenges. It coincides with a new study published in Public Relations Review that explores the intense emotional experiences of senior UK National Health Service (NHS) communicators during this time.
The research paper by Anne Gregory, Eleanor Davies, Bill Nichols and Urszula Wolski, identifies management factors that shaped those experiences and makes recommendations for governance and policy changes to better support communications practitioners in future health crises.
The emotionally intense experiences of NHS communicators during the COVID-19 pandemic were driven more by contextual factors rather than the demands of handling the crisis. These included command and control governance, working from home, social media, technology and professional recognition.
These factors resulted in various emotions in the communication practitioners including stress, anxiety, guilt, frustration, anger, inadequacy, isolation, pride, excitement, and growing confidence. The emotions were often enduring throughout the pandemic.
The communicators took actions such as asserting their professional identity, setting boundaries and implementing structured team management to cope with the challenges. However, the formal support they received from the organisations could have been improved. Most created their own support networks instead.
The communicators recommended reforms related to pandemic governance, HR policies regarding remote work and wellbeing, better coordination between national and local NHS bodies, faster decision-making and formal professional recognition of the role of communicators in crisis response.
The broader recommendations of the study include training on pandemic communication, maximum autonomy for local organisations in crisis response, coordination between different levels, and review of emotional support systems for communicators.
The study is based on a two-stage interview process with 15 senior NHS communicators comprising individual audio recordings by participants and semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was conducted of the transcripts. A draft summary of findings was shared with participants to ensure fidelity.
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Gregory, Anne, Eleanor Davies, Bill Nichols, and Urszula Wolski. 2024. “The Experiences of English National Health Service Professional Communicators during the Covid-19 Pandemic.” Public Relations Review 50 (1): 102434.
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