Guidance

Toolkit 7: communications and media approach

Published 21 January 2025

This toolkit provides a summary of the principles of communications and media management during an outbreak.

An important member of the incident management team (IMT) is the communications lead. The role of the communications lead in the IMT is to ensure that any communication needs are considered among all the members of the IMT, and to develop a communications strategy. Depending on the situation, informed by public health risk assessment, consideration should be given to reactive or proactive media handling, as well as any language or population needs relating to communications.

The IMT should agree communications lead when it forms. Following the first meeting of the IMT, the communications lead should prepare a reactive media statement, providing important information about the issue and any necessary public health messaging. The communications lead will update IMT members and relevant communications colleagues internally and externally will be updated. They will quote head of the relevant department, or other suitable senior member of the team and they will nominate a spokesperson for any media enquiries. This is often, but not exclusively, the chair of the IMT. Where the outbreak is linked to feed or food safety, the local authority or the FSA will identify a nominated spokesperson for any matters related to food and food safety aspects of an outbreak.

Depending on the incident, it may be necessary to proactively engage with the public via the media, especially if there is a wider public health risk. This can include traditional print and broadcast media as well as through social media and other communications. The approach taken to risk communication will be informed by outbreak investigation findings.

It is important to ensure that outbreak-related media activity:

• does not prejudice outbreak investigation
• does not compromise any statutory responsibilities or legal requirements
• does not reveal the identity of any cases or premises under investigation, unless there is a material risk to the public, in which case public protection will be the paramount consideration
• avoids unnecessary public alarm
• is informed by principles of co-creation and considers health literacy needs and the preferences of the target population

All communications materials prepared by the IMT communications lead should be signed off by relevant IMT members (and their respective organisations), with overall sign off by the IMT chair. The Directors of Public Health (DsPH) should be able to see communications materials if they not involved in the IMT and to ministers should be aware if large scale communications are required. In incidents where it is appropriate for there to be a joint media response, media material would then also need to be shared and agreed with lead members of the IMT from associated organisations. The communications lead should identify a single point of contact for media enquiries. This person will coordinate a response, seeking information from relevant agencies.

Once all the media materials have been signed off by all relevant IMT members, and the spokespersons have signed off their respective sections, the communications lead will be responsible for external communication. This includes sharing information where appropriate with relevant media and communications teams, including those internal and external to UKHSA. It should be noted that other members of the IMT, or other agencies participating in outbreak management, should not release information to the press or arrange press conferences, unless the communication strategy agrees a variance to this arrangement. It should be the responsibility of the communications lead to ensure co-ordination and coherence of messaging.

Where a decision is taken for the media statement to be made public (a proactive release) this will be published on the UKHSA website. Other media activities may include social media messaging on X, Facebook, and Instagram. Where the proactive media statement involves other organisations, such as the Food Standards Agency, this may be published on their platforms for example (food.gov.uk), and the relevant social media channels used to reach appropriate target audiences.