When we started our communications and engagement for the Lancashire and South Cumbria New Hospitals Programme in 2021, strict Covid-19 restrictions were still in place. Due to this, at the beginning our work consisted of online activity and telephone interviews. As restrictions lifted, more engagement was carried out face-to-face, particularly amongst those communities and individuals who may not have the equipment, connectivity, or confidence to engage online. We used a range of different ways to involve and communicate with our different audiences:

Engagement method - target audience

• Market research - public
• Roadshow events - public
• Workshop and focus groups - under-represented communities / health inclusion groups
• NHP website surveys - public, patients and service users, carers, staff
• In-depth interviews - patient / service user representatives
• The Big Chat online discussion platform - staff, Foundation Trust Members, voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector (VCFSE) representatives
• Colleague Summit informing and listening events - staff
• On-site hospital engagement - patients and service users, staff
• One-to-one and group meetings - MPs and wider stakeholders
• Public affairs - political stakeholders (e.g. MPs and local authorities) and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committees
• Written correspondence - all
• Stakeholder meetings - NHS Trust Boards, NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board from July 2022, previously Strategic Commissioning Committee and Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System Board, and more

Communications method - target audience

• Social media - all
• Website - all
• Media releases and subsequent press coverage - all
• Advertising campaign - print, radio, digital (websites and social media) - all

We have provided information in a variety of different ways, including Easy Read versions of all major programme documents, videos in British Sign Language and an accessible website, which can be translated into different languages and formats.