1 in 4 DON'T Choose Well

Having worked on a few localised Choose Well campaigns over the past two years you would think we would have become accustomed to some of the shocking A&E related statistics but sadly, no!

For instance, 1 in 4 people going to A&E do not need to be there and, shockingly, people using emergency departments for non-urgent conditions are costing the NHS up to £136m a year.

This is something that many NHS organisations are looking to prevent and, even more so, as CCGs increase functionality. Wakefield CCG is doing just that by directing public attention to local GP services.

The campaign, which focuses on the 1 in 4 statistic, aims to promote using GP practices as a first port of call as, in many instances, this is where many people who unnecessarily go to A&E could be treated.

The eskimosoup health team has worked alongside, and for, Wakefield CCG to create a communications strategy to address this issue including using effective press, 48 sheet and bus advertising. With the GP theme in mind the campaign uses the clear and thought-provoking message that ‘1 in 4 people who go to A&E don’t need to be there’. An eye-catching visual representation of this is also projected through an image of three red chairs lined up in a waiting room alongside one blue one – the odd one out.



The campaign also drums home the message that ‘Your GP practice knows you best and can help you’ which talks directly to the audience and encourages them to think about their actions.

This point has also been reflected throughout other channels including posters, leaflets, social media and a radio campaign which has been running in the area for three weeks.

Take a listen to the radio campaign and let’s hope the message is remembered in the run up to Christmas – one of the busiest times of the year for A&E staff with a staggering 80,000 people per year treated for Christmas related issues!

A little boost to our creative mojo...

It isn’t just the eskimosoup trophy cabinet that has received a boost recently as, with two award wins in the space of one week, the eskimosoup team seem to have an extra cheery spring in their step.

Last Thursday evening saw our very proud Managing Director John Gilbert and Creative Director Phill Postill take to the stage at the Association of Health Communicators and Marketing Annual Awards to receive an award on behalf of the team. The Highly Commended award for the UK’s Best Social Marketing Campaign was given to the life-saving campaign ‘Throat Wrecked? Get it Checked!” which eskimosoup helped create on behalf of the North East Yorkshire and Humber Clinical Alliance (Cancer). Working with the innovative organisation we were able to create a campaign that is hard-hitting and even encouraged behavioural change in those at risk.

Not only this but eskimosoup’s continued work in the health sector, was even recognised at a recent business awards ceremony. Our Account Director Rich Quelch was awarded ‘Young Achiever of the Year’ at the Hull Daily Mail Business Awards and was even noted for his impressive health and community work.

Rich has been involved with many health related projects while working at eskimosoup including his current role heading up a campaign called 'Smokes No Joke' in partnership with NHS Hull. The scheme sees him going into Secondary schools across the city to deliver presentations to pupils about the hazards of smoking. Although a somewhat challenging task he is passionate about raising the aspirations of young people and encouraging them into a much healthier lifestyle. The campaign has seen him deliver more than 70 presentations with each one receiving 100 per cent feedback from the schools and pupils involved.

As you can see from the looks of Phill and Rich modelling the awards we are proud and excited to be recognised in such a way and hope that our successes in the public sector continue to grow.

Tea n Talk

World Mental Health Day was a BIG date on the eskimosoup calendar as this was the day we decided to take the NHS Hull ‘1in4 of us’ campaign out on the road. Hiring a tea bus we hit the city streets to simply ask people to stop for a chat over a nice cuppa.

The project, aimed at ending mental health discrimination and raising awareness of the effects it can have on the individuals and their families, has been a huge success so far and this was just one of many crucial activities that has taken place in the city.

With the help of singers, local mental health organisations, those actually experiencing mental health problems, the campaign’s trademark Bubblehead characters and a large team of friendly and chatty people on hand giving out flyers and lending an ear to those in need the campaign, aimed at bringing people together, did just that.

So why not make yourself a brew and take a look at the project in full swing here:

Mo Bros

We don’t know about you, but as of late, our Facebook and Twitter feed has been clogged up with photos of varying degrees of feral facial hair sprouting across men’s upper lips. Guys who we are used to seeing clean shaven are now starting to resemble the likes of Tom Selleck with his manly-mo in Three Men and a Baby or Hulk Hogan with his infamous horseshoe tash. 

We are, of course, talking about Movember and, it seems, there is a definite increase in participants this year.

Some have been proving their masculinity with big, hairy caterpillars that have taken up residence between their nose and mouth while others are undoubtedly yet to fill out. But whatever stage their mo’s are at it is great to see so many men raising awareness for prostate cancer and other issues affecting men’s health. 

As we touched upon in our last blog, a campaign we carried out on behalf of NHS Hull called ‘Blokes Jokes’ did just that. Following extensive research into understanding the, somewhat, hard-to-reach target audience – men aged 45+ living in areas of deprivation; we came up with the idea ‘Blokes Jokes’. Recruiting two local comedians to write and perform materials that were entertaining and that communicated serious health messages we took the show on the road. Appearing in a number of challenging venues across Hull we delivered four events and interacted face-to-face with the target audience. This campaign, which appeared as part of Hull’s much-loved Comedy Festival, was a huge success with 90% of audiences recalling the health messages three months later. There was also clear evidence of men changing their lifestyle behaviours as a direct result of the campaign which meant a second phase ‘For Better, For Worse’ was then commissioned for delivery.

It is not just this campaign, however, that has endeavoured to encourage behaviour changes and discussion of men’s health subjects. We also actively targeted men in a campaign commissioned by the North East Yorkshire and Humber Clinical Alliance (NEYHCA) called ‘Throat wrecked? Get it checked’. Aimed at raising awareness of the signs of throat cancer the target group was mainly men aged over 50 who had the highest incidence of this type of cancer in the region. Launch events that we arranged at a number of local football stadiums, as part of pre-match entertainment, was an ideal way to directly speak to the gender concerned. The entertainment included interacting with the crowds, encouraging supporters to wear toad masks – a memorable sign of the campaign, leaflet distribution and fun, informal activities between the team’s mascot and the campaign’s toad character.

Not only that, but we also created a DVD resource on behalf of NHS Hull that helped to promote awareness and understanding of men’s mental health, specifically focusing on depression. The DVD Peter’s Story, a short fictional film based in Hull aimed to help men understand depression and its effect on their lives, gained large media interest, has become a major ongoing suicide prevention campaign in the region and created a lot of constructive discussions around men’s mental health. The campaign encouraged managers from commercial businesses to distribute the DVD around their teams and was also incorporated into many public sector organisations’ agendas and distributed to patients they were treating. Peter’s Story was rolled out nationally after being recognised by the Director of Mental Health First Aid Training and continues to be a success.

So, as Movember rolls on and the sheer amount of potentially magnificent facial hair on show grows bushier each day, we hope that everyone supports their slightly dishevelled looking Mo Bros in supporting this unique cause.

Here are just some of our friends and family doing their bit…

http://uk.movember.com/mospace/3396869

http://uk.movember.com/mospace/4948041

The "Brand" New NHS

In stumbling upon an article published back in June about brand perception in the NHS we thought it was extremely topical especially in light of last weekend’s Government cut protests. Many were out in force chanting and waving placards adverse to NHS cuts and reforms amongst other issues.

Images such as this one of a lady in the crowd, who is obviously worried about reforms affecting the ability of our health service to proficiently function, were very poignant.

Results in the article in Marketing Week ‘Why brand perception is important – especially for the NHS’ reported that sadly satisfaction with the NHS has fallen from 70% in 2010 to just 58%. This can have major impacts on how people actually experience their NHS.

Working with both public and private sector bodies over the years we have found that if a brand is recognised with positive connotations then it usually has a knock on effect to the way they actually experience its services.

This creates an interesting situation when it comes to the brand identity of individual CCGs. As a growing number of CCGs are receiving authorisation it is vital that their communities get behind them and support them. The CCG boards primarily need to be respected, trusted and above all satisfy people’s needs.

Small changes such as positive interaction with the public through campaigns, easy to use and maintain websites or consistent messages to the public through PR, social media and printed material can make all the difference. Having done this for many NHS clients, as well as even helping to manage some internal communications to ensure consistency, has definitely seen positive outcomes. A brand is more than a visual matter. It is judged on all kind of factors, not least by behaviour and finding creative and powerful ways to engage and interact with your customers.

A great example of interaction between the public and their health service is when we worked on the behalf of NHS Hull to create the campaign 'Blokes Jokes'.

This was a project aimed to reach men aged 45 and over living in areas of deprivation, who on the whole, rarely discuss health issues or seek medical advice possibly because of the aforementioned reasons. After extensive research we came up with the idea ‘Blokes Jokes’ using two local comedians who wrote and performed materials that were entertaining and, most importantly, communicated serious health messages in a fun, informal way. Taking this approach on the road and performing it in different venues across Hull ensured the campaign messages received over 90% audience recall following the events and even saw clear evidence of changing behaviours.

This is but one example of “brand NHS Hull” taking bold steps to push boundaries and challenge convention.

Now, we’re not talking about total reconstruction surgery but, we believe as CCGs come into being, maybe a few minor procedures could make all the difference in getting the public onside.

 

Time to Change?

Our recent CCG Communications Tweets about eskimosoup’s latest award nominations got us thinking…

We thought we would give you a little run down of why we (and hopefully the judging panel) think our Time to Change Hull campaign with NHS Hull is one of the front-runners to get the gong for Best Website at this year’s Association for Healthcare Communications and Marketing Awards.

www.1in4ofus.co.uk is an interactive website that acts as a central hub in this social marketing campaign aimed at increasing awareness and reducing stigmas around mental health in the city. The campaign has been running since May 2012 and is set to continue until March 2013. It is part of an integrated project of PR, events, signage advertising and print distribution and it is this central website which is used to provide further information or signpost visitors to relevant services and support groups. Additionally the channels of promotion through social media in particular enable the website to become an interactive promotional tool as well as a source of information. This has been a huge success so far with the site receiving 600 unique visitors per month – a figure which is set to increase as the campaign ramps up. 

Top 10 Features

Identity – The domain name www.1in4ofus.co.uk is simple and represents the inclusive nature of the tool, i.e. 1 in 4 of us will experience mental health problems rather than “them” or “people”. 

Look and Feel – The website design is easily recognised and is very bright, positive and has touches of humour. 

Misdirection – Using four different people in a range of situations helps to show mental health can affect everyone but by using a misdirection method whereby many users would incorrectly assume it is “crazy looking” Billy who suffers from mental health problems it makes people think and challenges assumptions. This is an approach we have received overwhelming support for in focus groups. 

 

 

1 in 4 representations – This being a local campaign we wanted to ensure that people in the city would get behind the campaign and appreciate the scale of the issue. Using easily recognisable scenarios such as “a lift carrying EIGHT people. TWO might need to talk” gets the point across but applying the formula to more familiar things such as the capacity of the KC Stadium (Hull City’s football ground) ensures the campaign hits closer to home.

Social Media Integration – A unique feature of the site is applying the 1 in 4 message to social media. For every Facebook, Twitter or YouTube follower the campaign receives we have used a formula to divide them by four to reinforce the key awareness message.

The BIG Picture – In order to help promote the viral nature of the website we developed an application that enables users to interact with the campaign and upload their own photos to become part of the 1 in 4 representations. For Facebook users this can be done automatically which would take a very long winded explanation of how we have done it but, to be brief, let’s just say it is very clever!

Multimedia Content – The website also hosts videos to support the campaign many of which have been locally produced and feature people from Hull discussing the issue – many with humorous yet poignant content throughout.

Activities and Events – Using yet more specialist techniques the website has been fully integrated with the Google Map system in a super slick module that not only shows upcoming events but locates where they are for you. This is a key part of campaign interaction.

Recognising Campaign Partners and Support Services – The campaign has gained the support of key public, private and voluntary sector organisations. These are recognised in a rotating footer on our website as well as provide links to many of the leading local and national organisations within the field of mental health. Targeting employers is another key part of the campaign and as such we have included a section called “Your Organisation” that offers practical advice for both employers and employees and shows how they can get involved.

Photo Gallery – Within the campaign there is a lot of community activity so we have, therefore, included a gallery to which event photography or campaign resources are uploaded.

Please feel free to have a play around with all the many fun and informative functions of the website at: www.1in4ofus.co.uk. We are very proud of it and we hope you like it too!

Throat cancer campaign wins award

The NHS is always looking for new ways to tackle behavioural change amongst patients so when eskimosoup were asked to deliver a campaign aimed at catching treatable stages of throat cancer we knew we had to be innovative. 

So striking and effective was the campaign (our role was one of several key partners delivering the work) that it has just won a national award for its ability to increase awareness of the signs of Laryngeal cancer and encourage those with symptoms to seek medical advice. 

The ‘Throat wrecked? Get it checked’ message and its striking visuals was a powerful way to communicate the message that a croaky or changing voice for three weeks or more could be a symptom of a life-threatening tumour. The campaign was commissioned by the North East Yorkshire and Humber Clinical Alliance (NEYHCA), and targeted wards with the highest incidence of throat cancer and in particular targeted men aged over 50 and their key influencers through a range of media and techniques to catch the attention of a hard-to-reach target audience. 

Launch events at a number of local football stadiums as part of pre-match entertainment was an ideal way to directly speak to the age group and gender concerned as well as raising general awareness. Hard-hitting and memorable posters displaying large images of a toad’s mouth onto a human face as well as radio advertising, social media marketing, leaflet distribution and a dedicated website were also used to spread the message and achieve behaviour change. 

Winning first prize for the Consumer and Partnership award at the National Cancer Intelligence Network Conference saw the campaign beating more than 100 other entries. More importantly the campaign worked and evaluation shows that the right people have as a result of the campaign visited their GP and become more proactive when it comes to looking after their own health or that of their family and friends.

CCGs - Choose Well

There is no doubting NHS Nottingham City CCG is on a roll recently with a national award under its belt and now in the running for two more UK wide honours. Named as Clinical Commissioning Team of the Year back in May they, along with some other NHS pioneers, are leading the way in the countdown to April.

Structuring their marketing strategy and individual targeted campaigns it seems their first goal is to tackle the city’s increasing number of unnecessary A&E admissions. With a planned campaign to inform patients to choose better when it comes to seeking medical advice it hopes to encourage those suffering minor injuries and illnesses to use some of the more appropriate and convenient services available.Raising awareness of local walk-in-centres, GP surgeries and pharmacies that can help treat minor cuts, stomach pains and painful coughs the campaign aims to cut-down A&E waiting times and save vital NHS funds.

eskimosoup has delivered more than 50 campaigns and projects for the NHS including some of the highest performing “choose well” communication campaigns.

Working with NHS Wakefield and NHS Nottinghamshire County PCTs our team designed and directed promotions tailored to each locality and target groups in that area. Strategies included using a street team to offer advice, direct mailing, advertising and using interactive games. Both projects were successful with a 67% campaign recall amongst our core target audience.

Another recent achievement to tackle this problem is our highly successful Your GP will see you now Wakefield CCG campaign. Raising awareness of local GP surgeries along with opening times and the services they can provide has directly helped to cut down unnecessary A&E admissions. Leaflets, posters and predominant use of social media gave patients advice on what minor ailments can be treated by GPs including minor burns and vomiting.

With treatment in A&E costing much more than providing the same care elsewhere and unnecessary admissions using up valuable resources our BIG ideas team are continually thinking up new and innovative ways to help eradicate the problem for UK wide CCGs.

So, as people are encouraged to choose well when it comes to the types of health services they use, so too are CCGs when it comes to deciding what campaign best targets their patients.

CCGs race to get online

In this increasingly digital world it seems everything can change at the click of a button. We can shop, socialise, learn and even talk to our favourite celebrity online so why is it that many are still not able to book an appointment with their doctor via the web?

The commercial sector has sat up and taken notice of the self-service generation that we have become and whilst some parts of the NHS are pioneers its clear that some parts need to follow suit. As CCGs, the “more patient lead health service”, come into being it is essential that the websites are built around patients’ needs and give people the opportunity to interact with their NHS.

The good news is that this is something that patients have been promised they will be able to do by 2015. The Department of Health have also set a target of being able to access medical records, order repeat prescriptions and use email enquiries by this date too.

So what does this mean for CCG boards nationwide?

One thing we know is that it is not just about sticking an online booking system onto an already confusing and patient un-friendly website. Yes, it does need to be informative but it also has to be visually appealing and easy to use for both the public as well as NHS staff who will be regularly updating the pages.

Here, at eskimosoup, we understand the problems that many businesses face who don’t have whizzy IT guys behind the scenes fixing problems and comms people adding regular posts. We realise that not everyone who uses web facilities have a degree in IT or web design. This is why we have taken ten years designing our very own software to make it as easy and efficient for those using it. This in turn means a much simpler experience for customers.

An example of our consumer friendly websites includes the healthy lifestyle Leeds Let’s Change website which uses vibrant and straightforward navigation tabs as well as integrating the regularly updated Twitter feed so people can easily keep up to date with changes. The site, which is fully operational by NHS Leeds staff, allows them to easily update events, news stories or create different links.

We are also currently working with a number of CCGs nationwide to help develop their websites to become fully functional and easily adaptable to handle these new Department of Health changes.

Then of course, there’s the increase of mobile web, convergence with social media, increased video content and a whole host of other factors that the most pioneering CCGs can apply to be truly ahead of the game.

What is needed to create an app that really helps users use NHS services in the right way?

Developing a successful mobile application to help local people make the right choices when it comes to their health choices requires more consideration than developing an app with some impressive bells and whistles.

Whether its relatively straightforward calls to action, such as accessing the appropriate NHS services for the corresponding condition or something more complex it is likely that the solution combines web development, e-learning, and behavioural change covering aspects of social marketing.

Ultimately for the application or campaign to be a qualified and quantified success we need to show a significant change of behaviour amongst our target group by reducing inappropriate usage of NHS services.

For the purposes of a brief blog article, we have summarised the key exchange principles and scratching the surface of the types of questions we should we asking when securing the key to the application’s success:

Insights Typical questions and actions: What barriers to access will we face? Practical, e.g. sound availability at point of access, and emotional, e.g. the reassurance from direct interaction with a health professional figure.

Exchange Typical questions and actions: Benefits (to emphasise) and costs (to reduce), for example: incentives such as time saved, feeling you have been self-sufficient, feeling “as though you have done the right thing”, vs. cost of feeling uncomfortable for misusing a service and experience of “uncomfortable” settings such as A&E, GP surgery, etc.

Competition Typical questions and actions: Competing health campaigns in particular those campaigns driving patients towards a GP for a check-up, NHS Choices information often telling you to visit A&E, etc.

Segmentation Typical questions and actions: Understanding which target segments this approach most appeals to and how we can tailor the solution so that it is most appropriate, segmenting forecasted user data, or key segments where behavioural change is most needed (we understand that profile data of who is using their A&E services by age, sex and time of day of attendance, and MOSAIC profiles is often available) so that we can prioritise when it comes to prioritising videos made and versions.

Learning Aims e.g. Help our target audience understand how to navigate NHS services on a range of adult and childhood health services and conditions.

Learning Outcomes (per unit) Primary – e.g. scenarios within a situation where home care is most appropriate, if you ought to access other NHS services, and when you should go to your GP or A&E. Secondary – e.g. details of administering home care, how to access an NHS service, where to go for further information / instruction.

Key factors to be determined ahead of video / instruction communications include:
• Level of realism.
• Literacy level.
• Level of visual communication and minimisation of using visual or auditory words.
• Ethnicity “match” of individuals features through the videos.
• Duration of video usage on smart phone, lap top and desktop.
• Environments that videos will be used in, e.g. on public access computers where audio is restricted.
• Levels of interactivity – we’d like to explore how through integrating aspects of active viewing/listening can enhance the learning experience and retention of key information.

Capabilities required to successfully deliver an app central to a behavioural change programme:
• Design.
• Development of Learning Management System.
• Creation of all course content, including video, audio, animation, Interactive panoramas, 3D products.
• Web Delivery Platform.
• Mobile Delivery Platform: Delivered using HTML5 and Flash.

Then of course there are a few great ideas and pieces of flair along the way!

Social Media for CCGs

The battle has been won, the bans have been lifted and now the NHS and a great majority of its staff have access to social media in the workplace.

This is the prime time to be, not just using it, but using it well. CCGs have promised to use the public to shape the outlook of the NHS. What better way to reach them than connecting with them where they ‘hang out’ – their virtual social life.

It would therefore seem CCGs in the midst of developing their communication and engagement strategies can’t afford not to leverage social media.

It predominantly provides transparency keeping all those concerned parties in the loop.

Twitter and Facebook is like an open book - just what is needed in a diversely changing NHS. If someone likes you or posts a positive comment then great, everyone can see it. If someone mentions something negative then, yes it does create a challenge but, you can use this to your advantage to show how switched on you are to finding a resolution to that problem.

The virtual community can clearly see that you not only value interaction, criticism and debate but you know how to deal with it. Therefore coming in-line with the key terms outlined in the white paper, Equality and Excellence: Liberating the NHS, which were that the public should have both Choice and Voice.

If your CCG can really embrace the nature of social media, through providing great content and interacting with audiences, it reassures people that you can be trusted and that you actually want to listen and learn from their views.

The Wakefield District’s ‘Your GP will see you now’ social media campaign is a prime example of interacting with local people. The Facebook page, created by the clever eskimosoup marketers, has received more than 1,500 likes alone for the service it offers. It allows people in the area to get to know their GPs on a much more personal level, find out about what services their doctor can provide and tells them where their nearest surgery or out of hours service is.

A social media presence can also help to reach those who may not always seek medical advice. It can even be used to broach health related issues that may otherwise be seen as a taboo. For example, NHS Hull’s interactive Facebook profile “Midwife Hull” that we developed was designed to stop pregnant women smoking. It was able to directly speak to a “hard-to-reach” group of women who were not speaking up about the problem. As well as initiating a behavioural change in expectant mums we were also congratulated by Facebook themselves for our great online approach. eskimosoup have played vital roles in using social media to promote other rather unspoken subjects like the widely praised NHS Hull’s 1 in 4 Mental Health campaign. With the help of tools like Twitter and Facebook the campaign is reducing the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health issues. It is also raising awareness of how common mental illness can be and that people need to feel more open talking about it.

These are just a few of the great ways we here at eskimosoup are helping the NHS push past limitations by using social media formats.

So don’t be fooled - joining the social sphere is not just about posting the odd tweet or liking a funny status it is about getting creative, thinking cleverly and staying relevant in an ever increasing social world.

Set out your Communications & Engagement Strategy

A communication strategy – yes it may figure down your current list of priorities right now what with dealing with budgets and the demands of QIPP (Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention).

That’s fine and well, though of course the government wants most CCGs to be authorised by next spring and there are several hoops to jump through before getting to that point.

That includes having a clear plan of how to engage with all those affected by the new changes.

From patients, to GP practices all the way to connecting with the media there is no denying that, just like hungry seagulls stealing your chips at the seaside, they want to be fed! Why I hear you cry why uncontrollably banging your head on the desk?

As NHS Calderdale so clearly and expertly set out in their Communications and Engagement Strategy: “If we do not effectively communicate our intentions and rationale, or manage our reputation, our credibility will be damaged and our ability to act will be restricted. “If we do not involve our stakeholders in a timely, meaningful and proportionate way, the services we commission will be less effective, plus we run the risk of challenge to our plans which is costly in terms of time, resource and reputation.”

If you haven’t got a clear strategy yet, not to worry. We had a feeling some readers might still be in deliberating mode especially with the some CSS communication services seeking an “alternative business model”. So before this article sends you running for the hills or crawling into the fetal position we thought we would show you some examples of how we are helping NHS bodies across the country.

eskimosoup has developed easy to use and informative websites for many Midlands based CCGs updating people about current changes and what they can expect as the reforms progress.

Not only this but we are working with a range of CCGs to develop communication strategies, internal engagement approaches, marketing campaigns, branding and digital communications.

Our previous PCT campaign work is not to be laughed at either. We have had huge successes with a number of hard-hitting and award winning campaigns targeting problems CCGs nationwide will look to be addressing. Meetings with boards have revealed issues like too many unnecessary A&E admissions or addressing healthy living.

One vibrant and positive campaign we currently work on is Leeds Let’s Change promoting healthy eating, physical activity, reduced alcohol consumption, smoking and weight management services.

Through the campaign healthy activities and events are promoted as well as providing groups and online guides they can use to change their lifestyles.

Working in partnership with the NHS we are not only improving lives but cutting down on long-term unnecessary health service costs putting us at the forefront of NHS communications.

Innovation in CCGs

Innovation and being just that little bit different – a concept that CCGs everywhere are being encouraged to exercise.

The “innovation” word was batted about at this years Commissioning Show, has been ran with by the media and has been stated time and time again in NHS documents. The word may have been mentioned quite frequently but some may be a little unsteady on there feet when it comes to putting it into action. Thankfully eskimosoup are not.

Innovation goes hand in hand as being the big ideas team that we are. Many years experience of working in the public sphere particularly with the National Health Service has gained us credibility when it comes to putting new strategies into place.

An unusual approach exercised in our 1 in 4 Mental Health campaign with NHS Hull sees us using and partnering up with big local businesses to push messages out. Working within large organisations has helped us directly approach their work forces and get to the nitty gritty of their daily lives.

It also helps get people talking about issues that can affect everyone but are rarely discussed in the workplace. Developing strategies like this can really help CCGs as they try to target long-standing problems such as unnecessary A&E admissions or alcohol consumption.

As discussed with one CCG board recently communicating with bars and clubs as part of a multi-layered approach can actually push boundaries and create results.

Our part in the “award winning” campaign about early detection of throat cancer also uses innovation in the bucket loads.

The memorable and rather out there imagery alone makes the campaign stand out. This informative yet stand-out approach resulted in patients actually being diagnosed and treated.

So next time you hear the word innovation don’t roll your eyes as being just a little bit different can change perceptions and even lives.

Reaching out - what's really going on?

‘No decision about me without me’ – A positive vision where by patients have real power to shape their health service. This mantra set out for CCGs in the NHS White Paper, Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS, is being brought up time after time. But how do we get to talk to these people and really find out what’s going on at the heart of their lives? Yes, it’s pretty straightforward getting the opinions of regular patients but what about those so called “hard-to-reach” groups who hardly ever step foot in a GP surgery.

I spoke to one man recently who hadn’t seen a doctor for the last 67 years! How would you go about engaging with him?

This is where clever marketing comes into play and something that a lot of CCG boards will have to quickly get their heads round.

Be it creating services and campaigns for the NHS or a private sector company, the eskimosoup team have found that, the outcomes are the same. It is about adding business value by gaining insights about the needs and views of customers and designing an offer round them.

This can range from conducting in-depth market research to creating some informative and quality PR; from a big social media push to putting on events to encourage new people to get involved.

Smoke’s No Joke, a campaign eskimosoup and Hull NHS are running in schools aims to prevent smoking in young people. It targets teenagers who, without the help of these interactive sessions coming in and breaking down barriers, may not have sought their doctors help, may have stayed off the radar and not been able to get involved with the future of their NHS.

Another prime example of this was our Facebook profile “Midwife Hull” which was created as part of a campaign to stop women smoking in pregnancy. This social media profile has been a huge success in providing support for pregnant women who are not approaching their GP or midwife. It allows them to ask for advice or just to share their views on the health service knowing there is a well-informed NHS worker responding to their queries.

Clever thinking like this can break down barriers and create opportunities to reach a far greater amount of people than just those who take the time to fill in a questionnaire sat in the doctor’s waiting room.

Involving people on a much deeper level will inevitably lead to better quality and more responsive services that can be sustained.

Jo Matthews - Integrated approach to care

As we reach the eight-month mark on the race that is the countdown to CCG take-over, this straight to the point video about turning around a struggling service is a welcome model.

Jo Matthews, Brighton and Hove CCG’s strategic commissioning lead for long-term conditions and end-of-life, discusses consistent, responsive and personalised approaches to how community services can be positively reconfigured.

The focus on planning and working together are strong messages CCGs need to embrace to create large scale change.

The determination and confidence shown from Ms Matthews in this short film obviously goes some way to motivating CCGs that their persistence will eventually pay off.

What can CCGs learn from the Olympics?

If you, like us here at eskimosoup, were one of the one billion people around the world captivated by Danny Boyle’s stunning and fantastical Olympic opening ceremony you will have found it hard to miss the NHS taking centre stage.

A segment of the jaw-dropping event included dozens of skipping nurses and children in pyjamas leaping acrobatically on massive hospital beds. It was a celebration of Britain’s national health service which saw 1,200 volunteers from UK hospitals coming together to promote the inspirational work they do. The NHS has come under a lot of scrutiny since the government’s Health and Social Care Act passed earlier this year with some criticising it as the end to the NHS in all but name.

There is no denying that those involved have a steep hill to climb in winning over the hearts and minds of our very confused public. Not to mention the challenges and inconsistencies faced by those currently inside the NHS.

Some face job uncertainty while others are simply struggling to make the transition into a brand new role. But, as it was so adeptly depicted in the Olympic hospital scene, it is time to look at the positives too.

CCGs now have the opportunity to put patients at the heart of everything they do. It is actually a very exciting time for the NHS.

As Andrew Lansley, Secretary of State for Health said, while making his speech at The Commissioning Show at the end of June: “Do not only think of the immediate difficulties, but the opportunities ahead.”

OK, OK, this might not go down well with everyone but the new arrangements present an opportunity to commission the best possible services for local people and help shape the local health economy to what they need. CCGs have a big learning curve ahead with many having to figure things out from scratch.

In fact, the Olympics as a whole should be looked upon for inspiration. So much great effort and focus is going into the preparation and smooth running of the event. Despite some inconsistencies and problems along the way great personal performance and the benefits of team work have cemented the 2012 games as a lasting legacy just as CCGs should hope to replicate.

Dame Barbara Hakin - CCG Insights

It will come as no surprise that this year’s Commissioning Show brought about a lot of thought provoking questions.

The “who’s who” of the NHS were at June’s event wanting to know how to drive forward in this ever changing CCG shaped landscape.

Race and equality being made a priority and scepticism about becoming an innovative service were just some of the concerns broached.

Dame Barbara Hakin, National Managing Director of Commissioning Development at the NHS Commissioning Board was on hand to offer some great insight while trying to overcome these questions.

Particularly interesting was her focus on looking back on how much has been achieved so far and the exciting prospects of what these changes can offer. Something that CCGs in the thick of things must ensure are not overlooked. It seems it’s not only about offering a great understanding of patients and the services they want but offering CCG boards choice. Choice to choose who they want on the governing body, options of spreading their innovative messages to help others outside of their remit and creating ideas stemming from the bottom upwards.

Dame Hakin, in this video taken from the annual event, pushes for a refreshing hands-off approach where patients and those representing them are the decision makers: