January and February 2019

The trust recorded a total of 829 items of media coverage during January and February which reached a combined audience of 30.66 million people.

Here are some of the highlights of the two months:

• Our press release on a warning from Dr Mark Wright, a consultant in liver medicine, that Dry January can provide the “perfect decoy” for problem drinkers featured widely in the national and local media.
• Coverage included The Daily Telegraph, The Times, the Daily Express, the Daily Mirror, The Metro, the i newspaper, the Daily Star (further article here), The Scotsman, the Daily Echo, ITV Meridian, BBC South, Wave 105 FM, the Publican Morning Advertiser, BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, 98 FM (Ireland), RTE Radio 1 (Ireland) as well as more than 180 regional articles across the UK, BBC network radio and items in Canadian and US media.
• Channel 4 News filmed with staff in the new frailty unit which followed on from widespread national and local media coverage in December.
• The Sun, the Belfast Telegraph, the Daily Echo, Nursing Notes, BBC South Today, The Breeze, The Business Post (Ireland), Digital Health and Health Business UK reported clinicians at UHS now receive instant alerts to inform them if a patient has tested positive for flu and which strain they have via a new 'WhatsApp-style' messaging app. Read our press release here. This was also covered by more than 180 regional titles across the UK.

• Fiona Chaâbane, an expert in younger onset dementia at UHS, hit the headlines with her warning that people in the UK who develop dementia under the age of 65 are “falling into a void” with little or no access to long-term specialist support. Read our press release here.

  The story was covered by the Daily Express (double-page), the Nursing Times, the Nursing Standard, the Yorkshire Post, the Daily Echo, BBC Radio Solent, Heart FM and the Alzheimer's Society.

• The Sun, the Daily Mirror, the Nursing Standard, the Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation and the Daily Echo, BBC South, BBC Radio Cambridge, Wave 105 FM and BBC Radio Solent covered the first diabetes screening event held at a UK football match. Read our press release here.

• Consultant spinal surgeon Evan Davies featured on ITV’s Tonight programme where he discussed back pain and treatment options.

• The Times, Sky News, talkRadio, Dogs Today Magazine, The Metro, El Mundo (Spain), Diario Correo (Peru), Bunte (Germany), ITV Meridian, The Breeze, BBC Radio Solent, the Daily Echo and the Portsmouth News ran items on former patient Andy Szasz, whose dog Teddy helped to wake him from a coma on the intensive care unit and is now a Pets As Therapy visitor to the wards.

• The Metro, the Daily Star, Digital Health, the Nursing Times, Health Tech News and the Daily Echo ran items on UHS becoming the first to offer all patients the chance to access and manage their hospital record online. Read our press release for more information.

• The Daily Mail and the Daily Echo reported a ‘super’ volunteer role developed by staff at UHS has been recognised nationally for improving mealtime and mobility support for older patients. Read our press release here.