Man with a mission

Ensuring a proper flow of information in a 24/7 operation is a huge challenge. iC magazine talks to Barry Mayes, the internal communications 'antenna' at a busy hospital, about how he does it.

Working for a hospital is like swimming in a very public goldfish bowl, says Barry Mayes, Head of Communications at Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust.

“Staff are constantly under the spotlight, reading and hearing about their performance in the media. It’s not always comfortable. When a hospital is publicly criticised, it impacts on everyone,” he explains.

Then, of course, in the NHS there are constantly new initiatives being announced, new targets to be met and new protocols to adhere to.

Add to the melting pot a recent survey by UNISON which revealed that only one in four of NHS staff said they felt valued by their bosses, and it’s clear that internal communications within a busy hospital is a real challenge.

But it’s a challenge the L&D Hospital is determined to meet. It takes staff opinion and morale very seriously and has developed a strategic approach to ensure that its 3,500-strong workforce is not only valued, but feels valued.

“With the goalposts continually being moved, just informing staff is not enough,” Barry explains. “We have to communicate with them clearly about what is happening, and then empower them to be involved in having a real say in how we work together to meet the challenges.

“For example, any new Government targets have a huge impact on everyone in the hospital, from appointment clerks to consultants, and it’s essential that everyone should understand why changes have to happen, and what is their specific contribution to that process.”

As well as doctors and nurses, the hospital “family” includes porters, cleaners, admin staff, physios, radiographers, catering staff, and more. Information must be relayed in a variety of ways because only one-third of staff have their own computer at work, though anyone can have access to a screen if they wish, and there’s a free internet café in the staff restaurant where people can access the intranet.

The comms team works very closely with Chief Executive Stephen Ramsden and his directors, but in a busy hospital which is active 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it’s no mean feat to ensure that everyone gets an opportunity to take time out to attend meetings. Discussion forums with staff are held round the clock– even at midnight.

A monthly two-page summary, The Board in Brief, keeps everyone up to date with current issues and key decisions. Right across the hospital, senior managers relay this to their teams as part of a two-way briefing process.

Barry sees himself as the antenna in this process. “In the event of staff feeling awkward or intimidated about asking questions they can raise any concerns with me to feed back to directors while maintaining confidentiality and protecting their identity. I don’t tell directors who has raised an issue because it means that people can feel completely free to make their opinions known without any fear of a witch-hunt.”

This anonymity even extends to situations where a member of staff has “leaked” something to the media.

He said: “I’m not interested in finding out where the leak came from because I look upon it as a barometer of a problem. If someone has chosen to leak something it’s likely a whole lot of people feel the same way. Our job is to address the problem rather than hunt down who leaked it.”

Another useful way of ensuring that people feel involved in the running of the hospital is Breakfast with the Boss, an informal monthly event at which a different group of randomly selected staff have croissants and coffee with the chief executive.

Since Barry joined eight years ago, the communications team has grown to seven, though some are part-time, and is increasingly valued at the hospital, he feels.

“I am very encouraged that communications are seen as important. I think we need to view our staff as customers. The single biggest cost in the NHS is staff and it’s important to remember that a well-informed workforce leads to a well-motivated workforce which in turn leads to better patient care and productivity.

“We must be doing something right,” he adds, “because the staff survey published in April by the Healthcare Commission showed that the L&D Hospital achieved one of the highest scores in the country for our work in involving and communicating with staff to give them a positive feeling about innovations in patient care.”