North Middlesex University Hospital (North Mid)
Challenge
North Middlesex University Hospital (North Mid) was undertaking a major service change, transferring Enfield Community Services (ECS) from Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust. The leadership team needed to ensure that incoming staff felt welcomed, patients understood the changes, and the transition process proceeded smoothly. Three core objectives guided the project: achieve operational effectiveness, reassure and advocate among the community, and secure reputation among stakeholders.
Approach
We developed a comprehensive communication strategy focused on making the transition seamless:
- Created a core narrative emphasizing welcome and value for ECS staff
- Developed welcome booklets and branded boxes providing crucial information
- Supported employee engagement events with robust feedback mechanisms
- Coordinated site visits from ECS leaders for face-to-face engagement
- Published clear, consistent updates across digital platforms
- Delivered community engagement workshops to address identified skills gaps
- Established ongoing stakeholder communication channels
Our approach balanced immediate transition needs with building long-term engagement capabilities within the North Mid communications team.
Impact
The project successfully integrated ECS into North Mid while achieving all key objectives:
- Operational effectiveness through clear narratives and information resources
- Community reassurance via consistent communication and enhanced engagement capabilities
- Secured stakeholder confidence through regular updates and visible leadership
The communication strategy not only facilitated a smooth transition but also strengthened North Mid’s capacity for future community co-production and engagement.
“Blue Lozenge helped scope a proportional and affordable package of support, and mobilised this very quickly… I felt really well supported and that Blue Lozenge colleagues were a genuine extension of our in-house team. Their support was responsive, high-quality and well executed… In nearly two years, I have not seen or heard my CEO stop a meeting mid-flow and call out a brilliant comms job, and I know that the input of Blue Lozenge was instrumental in achieving this.”
Georgie Agass, Head of Communications, Engagement and Fundraising, North Mid