THE emotional toll of the Covid-19 pandemic on NHS communication professionals is the subject of a new research report by the University of Huddersfield's Professor Anne Gregory and Professor Eleanor Davies, in collaboration with Doctor Bill Nichols from the Centre for Health Communication Research.
While the emotional and physical toll of the Covid-19 pandemic on NHS clinical staff is recognised and well-documented, this is the first research report on the effects on another 'front-line': NHS communication professionals. The report has been acknowledged by two significant NHS bodies: NHS Providers and the NHS Confederation.
From left to right: Professor Anne Gregory and Professor Eleanor Davies Life-preserving information
To quote one senior communicator interviewed during the research, "before vaccinations were available, the only thing that kept the population safe was accurate and timely communication." This group of professionals were crucial in providing life-preserving information to NHS staff, patients and the public throughout the pandemic. They had the job of co-ordinating and interpreting complex guidance and regulations under enormous time pressure and under the relentless demands and scrutiny of the media while they themselves were also adjusting to the restrictions, complexities and uncertainties facing the nation.
This new research investigates the emotional toll that this took and is still taking on NHS communication professionals. It identifies six principal triggers for the high and low emotions they experienced, which range from stress and anxiety to pride and elation.
Dedicated professionals
Several triggers identified were structural as the whole system sought to provide a consistent and clear message to the population, but others were to do with resources, professional support and personal circumstances - the NHS communication community is predominantly female. What is evident from the research is that this is a dedicated group of individuals who worked long hours, in difficult circumstances and without proper recognition in order to save lives.
Professor Anne Gregory, from the Huddersfield Business School commented:
"This is an important piece of work in that it is the first study of the emotional burden carried by professional NHS Communicators. We have defined them as 'another front line' in the battle against Covid-19. This group of professionals keep us all informed about the virus and how to behave. We and our colleagues in the Centre for Health Communication Research know that their timely and accessible interventions saved many lives during the pandemic."
Lessons learned
To ensure that the lessons learned from the pandemic are capitalised on, a number of recommendations are made including better co-ordination and organisation of all the various health organisations involved in pandemic response, systematic training for the next outbreak and standardisation of communication team and resource allocation.
The full research report can be read here
