CIPR has described an attempt by TaxPayers’ Alliance to link NHS communications to waiting lists as “disingenuous”

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) has condemned an attempt by the TaxPayers’ Alliance to link the rise in NHS communications teams with NHS wating lists. The institute has branded the move as “disingenuous”.

CIPR was responding to a study by the TaxPayers’ Alliance that found £57 million was spent by NHS organisations last year on communications. John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, linked NHS waiting lists to an investment in its communication function, stating that “health bosses must ensure that staffing budgets are focused on the front line."

CIPR CEO, Alastair McCapra, says: "NHS communicators play a vital role in supporting front-line services and have a statutory responsibility to communicate with patients, the public, NHS staff, and the media on preventative and often lifesaving matters. Far from being ‘spin’, this role allows nurses and doctors to focus on their jobs and reduces the burden of healthcare on taxpayers.

“It is disingenuous to suggest waiting lists are in any way linked to an investment in vital communications services across the NHS. At a time when public sector funding is in the spotlight, and two years on from the height of the pandemic, it is crucial our policy decision makers recognise the value that public sector communications can offer.”