- October 19, 2023
- Posted by: lutherpendragon
- Category: news
Pictured (from left to right): Jonny Girling (Senior Consultant), Simon Whale (Managing Director), Jennifer Evans (Associate Director)
At the PRWeek 2023 awards, the Luther Pendragon team was highly commended for its public affairs work with Community Pharmacy England, who represent the interests of all 11,000+ NHS community pharmacies in the country.
The campaign, entitled Pharmacy First: Securing Community Pharmacy’s Future, culminated in a £645 million investment by the Government and the NHS in the sector, the largest one-off funding increase for pharmacies since 2006. The Government also commissioned a national Pharmacy First service, which will see pharmacies become the public’s first port of call for seven minor ailments.
The results were achieved in close collaboration with Community Pharmacy England’s in-house team. A range of tools were used, including: Parliamentary roundtables and drop-in events, a mass-media campaign which resulted in national print and broadcast coverage, a petition signed by over 80,000 people, and engaging patient groups and wider stakeholders behind the campaign.
Through positive, patient-oriented messaging, Luther helped Community Pharmacy England build up a large cross-party caucus of supportive MPs and Peers, including Ministers and Shadow Ministers. The caucus received regular briefings, attended events, and made local pharmacy visits in their constituencies. The Prime Minister’s office was engaged throughout, with the PM himself sending warm words upon the launch of the Vision for Community Pharmacy, commissioned by Community Pharmacy England and developed by the King’s Fund and Nuffield Trust.
We are delighted to continue working with Community Pharmacy England and we look forward to what we will achieve together next.
Luther Pendragon is one of the UK’s most highly-regarded independent consultancies, with a 30 year track record of helping organisations – including those in the health and social care sector – understand and manage political risk and tell compelling stories to the people that matter. Contact us to find out how we can help your organisation make an impact.