Welcome NHS communication leader Alenka Daniel

We’re delighted to strengthen our growing team with the appointment of NHS communication leader Alenka Daniel as Account Director.

Alenka, currently Head of Communications at Barts Health NHS Trust, joins us from Monday 23 June, bringing over a decade of frontline NHS communication experience to support our growing portfolio of healthcare clients. She will be working with our public health clients, driving behaviour change campaigns and building on our work to help reduce violence amongst children and young people. 

Alenka formerly led communications for one of the UK’s largest NHS trusts, overseeing the development of the communications strategy for five hospitals and advising executive leadership through complex system-wide challenges. Her expertise spans internal and digital communications, media relations, crisis communication, and stakeholder engagement. 

Her work has earned national recognition, including accolades from the Nursing Times Workforce Awards, Comms2Point0 UnAwards, and the Medical Journalists’ Association, as well as contributing to the BAFTA-nominated series Operation: Live.

Alenka Daniel commented:

“Blue Lozenge represents the future of strategic healthcare communications: bold, compassionate, and expert.

“I’m proud to be joining a team that’s making a tangible difference across the health and care sector.

“I look forward to helping our clients improve patient care and navigate the complex and evolving health landscape.”

Rachel Royall, CEO of Blue Lozenge, added:

“We’re really excited about Alenka joining our team. She is hugely values driven and a great personality to be around. She has an excellent track record In delivering impactful campaigns and I can’t wait for her to meet our clients.”.”

Alenka’s appointment reflects our continued investment in senior healthcare communications talent, if you’re looking for your next move we’d love to hear from you. And if you’re looking for strategic healthcare communication expertise to design and deliver your next campaign, view our services and get in touch hello@bluelozenge.co.uk 

Read the Press Release in PR Week

Supporting Excellence in Medical Journalism

Author: Maya Anaokar, Account Director

This year marks a special milestone for Blue Lozenge – we’re sponsoring the Medical Journalists’ Association Awards for the first time, specifically the Feature of the Year (Broadcast) award. 

Why the awards matter to us 

The MJA Awards matter because excellent health journalism saves lives. The best health reporters don’t just inform – they scrutinise, challenge and ultimately drive improvements that make care safer for everyone. For all the specialist communicators who work in-house across the health system, you know journalists rely on your ethics, energy and expertise.  

At a time when there is so much debate about the value of NHS communication, we want to champion the role communicators play in supporting journalists. Especially those journalists who go beyond soundbites and who dig deeper, research thoroughly, and transform complex health information into content that genuinely serves patients and communities. 

The power of stories 

Healthcare communication can be unnecessarily complex. We chose to sponsor the Feature of the Year (Broadcast) award to shine a light on the simplicity of storytelling. This award celebrates journalists who can distil intricate health stories into accessible, engaging content in just two minutes – a skill that’s both rare and vital. 

Our challenge to the sector 

We believe transparency, accountability and scrutiny make healthcare stronger. That’s why we support journalism that challenges the system to do better. We, therefore, have one ask for health journalists: stop accepting ‘a spokesperson says’ and demand named accountability from real people in senior positions across health and care.  

The public deserves transparency, and transparency drives better outcomes. 

Looking ahead 

In today’s healthcare environment, leaders face mounting responsibilities and relentless pressures. Strategic communication isn’t about spin – it’s about creating space for healthcare leaders to focus on what matters most: improving lives. When done well, it embraces scrutiny rather than avoiding it. 

We look forward to congratulating all MJA Awards nominees. Your work matters more than you know so get your entries in by 1 June. 

Blue Lozenge specialises in strategic healthcare communication and engagement. If you’re facing communication challenges that require transparency, accountability and trust, we’d love to help: corrine@bluelozenge.co.uk 

#HealthJournalism #NHSCommunications #MJAAwards #HealthcareCommunication #BlueLozenge