When West Swindon was developed, the infrastructure of a neighbourhood retail centre, schools and medical facilities were delayed. Swindon Borough Council ensured this mistake was not repeated when the Government approved 12,000 new homes for North Swindon.
Two GP’s set up the first medical practice in a Portakabin at the entrance to the building site, ensuring appropriate healthcare and support for new mums moving into the area. Dr Peter Crouch designed the IT infrastructure for Swindon’s Great Western Hospital, and as Taw Hill Medical Practice was set to grow rapidly, he selected a scaleable IT system with capacity for all foreseeable needs for thousands of new patients.
Blue Click PR Ltd. was appointed to handle the media campaign to engage with new local residents so they supported planning applications for site 2 (Terrapin mobile operating theatre building) and site 3 (final permanent building below).
Dr. Crouch collaborated with Whitehall and the NHS to make Taw Hill Medical Practice a centre of excellence in terms of architectural design and build quality, as well as the provision of groundbreaking medical services in the community.
With secure access, the building is designed for 24 hour use, and doubled as a forensic rape investigation suite at night. Dr Crouch worked tirelessly with the Wiltshire Police Force and Primary Care Trust to develop ‘The Sanctuary’, one of the UK’s first rape suites away from police stations. Victim and family have a welcoming, comfortable environment in which to wait, followed by sensitive medical and emotional support.
Taw Hill Medical Practice hosts several NHS clinics carrying out minor operations, alleviating pressure on the town’s hospital. Private medical clinics use the same facilities and Blue Click PR handled media enquiries for both.
Technology Showcase Conferences
Dr Crouch integrated various new technologies and we helped manage three conferences giving an overview of each system, its benefits and drawbacks. Designed to reduce the waste of NHS resources, about 50 IT specialists attended each time, including several NHS Chief Executives.
Media Coverage
We sent press releases and articles to medical, regional and local media and Dr Crouch was regularly interviewed by local radio and newspapers for his opinion on health issues. Local residents were kept onside by providing initiatives such as satellite internet access at the practice when BT failed to deliver the promised broadband access to their homes. Consequently, media coverage during the planning application process was always positive.
In addition, we managed the preparatory work to host national media for a visit from Prime Minister Tony Blair during his election campaign, to officially open Taw Hill Medical Practice as a beacon of best practice.
National TV Coverage
Regional TV filmed regularly and a good rapport was established with reporters ensuring sensitivity towards patients. Blue Click PR managed filming by national TV news crews when a story we placed about reducing space for patient record data storage headlined alongside the announcement of the Gulf War and the introduction of the London Congestion Charge.
National BBC news had an estimated audience of around 12 million. This three and a half minute piece headlined at lunchtime, early evening and late evening news with an estimated 36 million ‘Opportunities to See’. In addition, the story and video news clip hit the front page of the BBC’s website resulting in tens of thousands of hits to their website.
Taw Hill Medical Centre’s reputation and Dr. Peter Crouch’s standing within the medical community continue to grow. Dr Crouch gets invited to take part in ever more high-profile trials and events, and this is why TV coverage makes all the difference in enhancing reputation and building brands
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