As the compere’s words rang out across the glittering auditorium that night, I looked around at my colleague’s faces – stunned shock turning to pure delight.
We all let out a cheer in unison.
The cameras flashes; applause rings out. Associate Director of Legal Affairs Jane Quinn holds the HSJ trophy aloft on stage. She and her team were getting the recognition they richly deserved – for settling claims for clinical negligence over two years faster than any other health trust in England across the whole of 2018.
This merits praise because people are often forced to endure painfully long drawn out legal disputes.
Four months earlier I was busy putting together the dry statistics and hard facts – crucial for every award nomination. This is where the proof of the success you are highlighting is to be found.
But during the preparatory research, I asked colleagues: What makes the legal team so effective?’
Only then did I uncover the magic ingredient that truly stands out in a nomination application – the human touch.
A trust consultant told me: “The Legal Affairs team really care. Their approach is amazing. If only we could clone them!”
A story told to me time and time again.
Winning an award from a body like the HSJ is a shout from the rooftops. It lets everyone know that your organisation is a national leader in a particular field.
And our legal team fully embody the Trust culture of care and continuous improvement.
Out of the awards limelight and back to work, it can be easy just to put the trophy into the display cabinet and move on.
But an effective communications specialist knows that this is the most important time to reach out to media contacts: “I know people who are trailblazers. This is a great story your readers deserve to hear about!”
My job is to keep the well-deserved plaudits coming and for good reasons.
Our client’s Legal team win is great story for the health media because it is an example of what successfully integrated team-working can deliver.
But it is a story my legal media contacts will love as well.
BBC Radio 4’s Law in Action, The Law Society journal and Guardian Law are all aware that public health litigation is big news.
And here are professionals in our trust modelling good national practice. The legal industry should know why.
I have every intention of keeping the media spotlight focused on ELFT’s truly dedicated and effective legal team.
But it’s also fingers crossed for two more Trust services whose Nursing Times award nominations made it through to the finals this autumn coming. Watch this space!
