Historically, JMC Partners has paid little heed to industry awards, believing that quality tells without the help of such baubles. As we celebrated our tenth anniversary, however, younger voices prevailed and the Specialised Healthcare Alliance (SHCA), which we have serviced since January 2004, entered and won Communiqué’s Award for Best Healthcare Policy Programme, as presented at a glitzy evening in London on 5th July.
Clearly, this was a night to be savoured by JMC’s compact team. At the same time, the contrast between SHCA’s low-key approach to informing and influencing health policy affecting people with rare and complex conditions and the razzamatazz which surrounded us led to slight feelings of unease, quelled by the judges’ comments, which seemed to encapsulate our ethos to perfection: “Quiet, consistent and tenacious, this campaign engendered trust and showed very strong outcomes.”
More generally, the evening showed the importance of events like the Communiqué Awards in showcasing the range and complexity of the issues facing healthcare and the extent to which those who make a difference in the policy arena need to marry their understanding of Whitehall and Westminster with an equal knowledge of the NHS; a trend which will be strongly reinforced by the current reforms.
Will we enter again next year? Well, victory was sweet…
- July 10, 2012 posted by John Murray | Permalink
