Promote, Protect and Develop your Services

Influencers - How to promote your services to stakeholders who can influence your future success

Who are the influencers?

Internal stakeholders

GPs and Consultants

Patient Organisations

Large employers

Sports Clubs

Head teachers

The Press

Nursing home / residential facility managers

What aspects of your service can you sell to influencers?

Economic efficiency

Raising the profile of an organisation

Patient appreciation of your 'Patient Centred Care'

Reduction in readmission figures

Reduction of sickness absence

A positive vision of the future of how you plan to improve what you already do well

Motivate staff to work with you to make improvements

Shorter waiting lists

How to Nurture your Influencers

Language

Be concise

Use the vocabulary of your audience

Use language which evokes the 'personality' of your service

Don't baffle them with physiotherapy terminology

Use success stories

Do Informal Marketing

Arrange visits to Influencers

Speak to their areas on interest

Look at your local JSNA (Joint Strategic Needs Assessment)

Resources

Marketing Strategy

Key Performance Indicators

Audience Profiles

Promotion Plan

Physiotherapy Works

Website Considerations

Social Media Considerations

Checklist of what Patients may Need to Know

Leaflets

References and Additional Reading

Patients - ensure your patients are happy customers and are ambassadors for your services

Obtaining Feedback from Patients

Patient and Potential Patient Information

At the right time – ensure that information is tailored around the specific needs of the patient when they first come into contact with your service

In the most appropriate way – ensure that information is provided through a range of channels so that it is accessible and convenient

In the most appropriate formats to maximise accessibility– Internet; leaflet; audio; easy to read; etc

At the right place – the Internet; GPs surgeries; your clinic; local libraries etc

Money - How to maintain funding or profits for your services

England

Clinical Commissioning Groups generally led by GP Consortia.

Clinical Senates

Clinical senates are expected be a way of bringing clinical leaders together across broad areas of the country to provide a vehicle for cross specialty collaboration, strategic advice and innovation to support commissioners. They will have an enabling role for both clinical commissioning groups and the NHS Commissioning Board. Senates may provide part of the way for CCGs to meet their proposed statutory duty to secure advice from a wide range of health professionals, but they will not have a right of veto for plans. There is likely to be approximately 15 clinical senates. Who will be part of them and what their specific roles will be are all yet to be determined.

Clinical Networks

Clinical networks will be specific to client group, disease group or professional group. They will undertake a range of functions including supporting improvement in pathways and outcomes of care. They differ from clinical senates as they intend to bring together a range of clinical experts from a range of specialties and professions to provide independent advice on improvement and quality of care.

Health and Wellbeing Boards

Health and wellbeing boards will be a forum for local commissioners across the NHS, public health and social care, elected representatives, and representatives of HealthWatch to discuss how to work together to better the health and wellbeing outcomes of the people in their area.

Northern Ireland

Health and Social Care Board

Regional Commissioning Office of the Health and Social Care Board

Commissioning Directorate

Scotland

NHS Health Boards and Community Health Partnerships

Wales

Local Health Boards and NHS Trusts

Health Commission Wales

Private Practitioners

Growing your service

Working with NHS

Independent Practitioners incl Charities

Promoting to internal stakeholder

Working with the NHS

Price

(what it costs) e.g. 30 min or 45 min sessions at what package price or it may be higher effectiveness for less cost

Product

(what you are selling) e.g. highly effective & user-friendly physiotherapy service. This is your opportunity to identify the strengths in your service and address weaknesses.

Promotion

(how you are making the target audience aware of your service) e.g. advertising a private practice in the local press; starting your own webpage; telling the local GP about your serviceand convincing him/her that is a clinicallly god and cost effective choice for referrals; or simply chatting about the effectiveness of physiotherapy to acquaintances, friends and family. Whatever methods you use, DO focus on the benefits for the target audience; keep wording short & simple; keep branding, images & messages consistent; keep web pages up-to-date; and make it easy to enquire by email and/or telephone e.g. by producing business cards. DON’T produce long, wordy or overly technical leaflets, adverts or text for email/hard copy direct mailings – this simply puts distance between you and your target audience. You want them to feel that you understand them and their needs, not that they cannot possibly understand you or your profession!

Place

(where you are selling it) e.g. physical attendance is necessary so concentrate your efforts on the surrounding area within a 20 min drive or 30 min bus ride. What is the demongraphic of this area? What do they need? Alternatively think about can you make your service more accessible by varying where you deliver it?

Joint Stratigic Needs Assessment