Communications development
Supporting communications and engagement leaders across the NHS.
Improving diversity in NHS Communications
A new report from the Taskforce for Diversity in NHS Communications, offering practical actions to improve diversity in the NHS communications and engagement workforce.
Race equality
Workforce
Effective communications and engagement play a key role in supporting integrated care systems, and the partners that make them up, to achieve stronger relationships, more open and transparent ways of working, greater trust, more engaged staff and, ultimately, better outcomes for the public.
We support communications and engagement leaders working across NHS organisations to perform at their best.
Our support
NHS Communications Forum
A forum for communications leads working across NHS trusts, ICBs and other NHS organisations in membership of The NHS Alliance. This builds on the separate communications forums that were hosted by NHS Providers and the NHS Confederation. The forum meets four times a year, including one day long in-person event.
NHS Communications AI Forum
Supporting communications professionals to build capability in artificial intelligence to improve their communications activities. Highlights include the development of an operating framework and an AI healthcare communications forum that launched in May 2025. Register your interest in joining the forum.
Taskforce on improving diversity in NHS communications
A national taskforce that was delivered in partnership between the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers. The NHS Alliance will take this forward.
Postgraduate qualification in health communication and consultation
A new postgraduate qualification in health communication and consultation designed for the next generation of professional NHS communicators. The course is led by the Centre for Health Communication Research and The NHS Alliance is one of the main organisations that support it.
Regular thought leadership and research
Thought-provoking content on communications practice, including a report into ‘the state of NHS communications’ based on the most significant benchmarking analysis of NHS communications teams that has been undertaken
NHS Communications Bulletin
A dedicated bulletin for NHS communications leads.
HealthCommsPlus
We provide expert communications support on a commercial basis via our agency, HealthCommsPlus. We offer a creative, professional and cost-effective service for NHS and public sector organisations across the UK. Any profit we make is reinvested in the support we provide to NHS organisations and wider health and care systems.
With a shared commitment to improving health outcomes, we combine deep sector knowledge and expertise to deliver strategic and operational support where it’s needed. We are deeply committed to the NHS communication and engagement profession and don’t just stop at delivery – we build capacity and capability within communications and engagement teams across the UK NHS to ensure long-term success.
That’s the ‘plus’ in HealthCommsPlus.