Good Relations has won an international Gold Award for the agency’s work with the NHS Connecting for Health Programme.
The 2008 pan European Sabre Award for best work in the public sector was awarded to the Good Relations team at the international prize giving event in Venice.
Connecting for Health is the world’s biggest civilian IT project and an area of key reform for the UK government. Good Relations' Darren Young jointly headed the account, with Bell Pottinger Group’s Claire Cater and Mark Herbert. For over a year an expert team was seconded into the Department of Health to co-ordinate strategic and day-to-day communications on the National Programme for IT for the NHS.
Darren said: “Connecting for Health has been an absorbing and challenging project which has involved dealing with the media on wide range of issues around the introduction of IT on an unprecedented, international scale.
“We were able to demonstrate the huge benefits of the IT rollout while managing communication around the initial difficulties. The results -- improved public perception, strategic overview and a robust press office function -- all speak for themselves. “
