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Several public health experts stressed to us that an effective messaging and communications strategy was...

Conclusion
Several public health experts stressed to us that an effective messaging and communications strategy was a crucial part of the response to a pandemic. In July 2020, Sir Paul Nurse argued in evidence to the Health and Social Care Committee that “communication, messaging and keeping trust” should be one of the core focuses of the Government’s strategy.218 This was echoed by Sir Jeremy Farrar, who explicitly linked consistent messaging to public compliance with other NPIs: 211 NERVTAG is an expert committee of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), which advises the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and, through the CMO, Ministers, DHSC and other Government departments. 212 Oral evidence taken before the Science and Technology Committee on 23 December 2020, HC (2019–21) 136, Q1612 213 GOV.UK, ‘Prime Minister’s statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 19 December 2020’, and HC Deb, 6 January 2021, cols 734–736 [Commons Chamber] 214 GOV.UK, ‘Cases in the UK: Coronavirus in the UK—cases by date reported’, accessed 17 August 2021 215 GOV.UK, ‘Deaths in the UK: Coronavirus in the UK—Deaths within 28 days of positive test by date reported’, accessed 17 August 2021 216 Ourworldindata, SARS-CoV-2 variants in analyzed sequences, United Kingdom, accessed 2 September 2021 217 According to the Office for National Statistics, the second wave was estimated to be between 7 September 2020 to 24 April 2021. 218 Oral evidence taken before the Health and Social Care Committee on 21 July 2020, HC (2019–2021) 36, Q589 54 Coronavirus: lessons learned to date Consistent messaging and trust in the messaging is absolutely vital. If you are asking anybody—the community or the public—to do things that they would not normally do, they have to trust the message and the messenger, and that has to be consistent over time.219
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government Acknowledged
The government accepts this recommendation. The government recognises that the pandemic response requires a multifaceted communication strategy, capable of adapting to and addressing a variety of concerns. There were many factors that influenced public behaviour and compliance, for example, research showed that confidence in the government and trust in messaging were key determinants of compliance. The government designed behaviour change campaigns to influence behaviour in a number of specific areas including handwashing, wearing face coverings and encouraging vaccine uptake. The government worked with trusted messengers, as well as undertaking user research and reviewing the academic literature to ensure that it took the most effective course of action. This meant, for instance, working with local Directors of Public Health, and faith and community leaders to cascade guidance and information and counter misinformation. The government recognises that there are some specific areas of messaging that could have been improved. This includes providing British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation at COVID-19 press conferences and ensuring advice was available in a wide variety of languages. The government also recognises that its messaging has not reached all communities equally, and it has not always been as effective as it might have been in reaching people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and communities where English is not the first language. The government is committed to ensuring that it learns the lessons from this pandemic and takes steps to improve its messaging in future. Moving forwards, UKHSA will continue to build on the lessons learned in its health communications. They will ensure that their messaging is clear, consistent, and accessible to all, and that they work with trusted messengers to reach all communities. In addition, the government will continue to invest in research to better understand what motivates people to comply with public health advice, and how to tailor messaging to different audiences. They will also continue to work with local authorities and other partners to ensure that messaging is delivered in a way that is culturally sensitive and relevant to local communities. The government also recognises the importance of providing access to information in a range of accessible formats, for example British Sign Language, Easy Read, large print, and audio. The government will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure that its messaging is accessible to everyone.
Addressee Bodies
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Timeline
Recommendation age 4.6 yrs
Report published 12 Oct 2021