Matthew E.
About me
| Matthew E. | |
| Politics | |
| BA Politics | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Halifax | |
| 2016 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Media Relations Advisor | |
| NHS England | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Healthcare | |
| Large business (250+ employees) | |
| 2017 |
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A day in the life of a Media Relations Advisor in the United Kingdom
I finished York without having any real experience and just my politics degree of note, I knew I wanted to go to business school and do an MSc which is what I did - it was perfect for developing my natural communications skills.
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
In a nutshell, NHS England oversees the budget, planning, delivery and day-to-day operation of the commissioning side of the NHS in England.
In plain English, the commissioning side includes stuff such as GP surgeries, urgent and emergency care, and mental health services to name some of what NHS England helps make happen.
We work slightly differently from the main civil service as we are what is known as an arm's length body (ALB). Our budget and funding come directly from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) but we are operationally independent and sit outside of the civil service.
I would say we are probably the busiest public sector press office with the exceptions of maybe the cabinet office and no 10.
What do you do?
As media relations advisor it is my job to help defend and enhance the reputation of the English NHS.
The NHS got a new funding settlement following the 70th anniversary of the NHS in 2018 and following that we launched the NHS Long Term Plan which set out how we want to improve services for patients - such as hiring more GPs, improving cancer care and better mental health treatment to name a few.
I work with our policy people and our brilliant doctors and nurses who are doing incredible new things thanks to the NHS Long Term Plan - I try and find and tell them stories to the media so that the public can see the fantastic work the NHS is doing to help get them and their loved ones better care.
Of course, there are times where things haven't gone right, healthcare is such an important issue that has an impact on many people's lives - it's important communications around potential issues are handled sensitively and in an appropriate manner which is also a key part of the job.
Some of what I do includes:
- Accompany and brief directors and senior spokespeople for major media interviews - such as BBC Breakfast and the Today Programme
- Work with policy teams to find examples of great work we are doing and deliver positive proactive national media coverage for that work
- Handle reactive inquiries, including major investigations to ensure stories are factually accurate. If there are untrue claims, get them removed, get factually corrections on others, but ensure our media lines make clear what is been done and reassure the public what is happening to fix any issue.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
I'd always enjoyed communications, it was frustrating that it was never really taught at school or college.
I finished York without having any real experience and just my politics degree of note, I knew I wanted to go to business school and do an MSc which is what I did - it was perfect for developing my natural communications skills.
I interned with an MP for a year so that I was entering the job market with two degrees and a year's worth of experience, rather than simply just an undergraduate degree.
That enabled me to get in the door with the national NHS stakeholder team and from there I've had two promotions into my current position and made the switch into the media side.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
No, it's exactly what I thought it would be - busy, challenging and no two days the same.
Describe your most memorable day at work
I developed an original idea and worked with the mental health team on it about stuff we can do around gambling addiction and the harm it causes - for some it can ruin lives.
Developing this idea, been able to see through it, and on the day we were all good to go it was really rewarding to see it play out in the news.
We got numerous splashes (front pages) for national newspapers, the lead story on the Today Programme, back pages, and the story dominated broadcast throughout the day and become a monster story online also.
By the end of it all, not only I had secured positive coverage for the NHS, I'd secured actual policy change helping to tackle gambling addiction which will make a difference in people's lives - it's the most rewarding thing I've done.
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
The hours can be very long and when something major has popped up and needs handling, it can mean at short notice putting life outside work on hold for a week sometimes to focus on the job.
I love what I do so I don't mind that, but there are times you have stuff planned and work gets in the way and it can be frustrating.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
I wrote some frankly absolutely terrible articles for some of the local York Uni news sites - but it was great for improving my English and testing out what got a reaction and what didn't.
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
Don't enter the jobs market with simply a degree - you need good experience so at interviews you can demonstrate clearly you have already shown you can do the tasks you'll be required to do.
If you're open to doing a masters and you did something non-specific like I did with politics, I'd highly recommend business school. A masters from a top business school can really develop your skillset and give you an advantage over others in the jobs market.
I've managed to get a strong foot on the ladder and without question that is because of my year working for an MP combined with going to business school to top up my politics degree.
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