NHS attitudes to marketing need to change

The need to change attitudes towards marketing in the NHS was discussed at a Masterclass given by The Chartered Institute of Marketing at the Association of Healthcare Communicators' conference.

David Thorp, director of research and information at The Institute, drew on recent research into the role of marketing in the NHS to look at how increasing competition and commercialisation are affecting the way it operates.

Patient choice and 'Payment by Results' make it necessary for managers to develop a commercial mindset and understand how employing marketing techniques can help develop a patient-led service.

But achieving this requires a change in attitude towards marketing.

"If NHS managers do not understand how marketing can help, then they are working with one hand tied behind their backs," said Thorp.

"To be commercial they have to put the patient first - to do this means understanding patients' needs and delivering on them, but the attitude towards marketing has to actively change if this is to happen".

In his Masterclass, Thorp discussed the four major steps that need to be taken if commercialisation is to become a reality.

First, the NHS must ensure that it listens to its customers and a process needs to be put into place to capture and exploit customer insights.

Secondly, true choice only comes with knowledge of all the possibilities and their alternatives.

NHS patients need a constant and meaningful supply of accessible information; providing this is a given for a patient-led service.

Thirdly, these will lead nowhere if NHS employees do not understand what a patient-led service means in practice and what their part is in delivering it.

New customer-focused skills and competencies will need to be developed and embedded.

Finally, it is vital that Health Trusts begin to recruit staff with appropriate commercial skills capable of delivering the vision and developing the next generation of health service commercial specialists.

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