GP Federation communications: The pros and cons of centralising your comms

The pressure on primary care is relentless. With the NHS 10 year plan starting to kick in, Federations are scaling shared services, ICBs are pushing integration, and patients expect consumer-grade communication. In this context, centralising communications looks attractive: one strategy, one voice, one team. But centralisation can also flatten local nuance, the beating heart of general practice. In this opinion piece, I set out the pros and cons of centralised communications for GP Federations, and propose a practical “hub-and-spoke” model that protects local voice while delivering consistency, compliance and measurable impact.

What do we mean by “centralised communications” in a GP Federation?

In a federation, centralised communications means a shared team (in-house or outsourced) that sets strategy, manages channels, develops core content, oversees brand and reputation, coordinates with PCNs and practices, and leads on media and crisis response. Local practices and PCNs act as spokes: they tailor messages to their populations, surface stories, and feed insight back to the hub.

Done well, this model reduces duplication and elevates quality. Done poorly, it becomes a broadcast machine that misses local need.

The case for centralising: Pros you can bank on

1) Consistency and brand trust

A federation-wide style, tone, and visual identity builds recognition and credibility across websites, posters, leaflets, SMS, email and social. Consistency reduces confusion and strengthens trust, especially during service changes or vaccination campaigns.

2) Economies of scale

Pooling budget and talent means better tools (shared CMS, email/SMS platforms, asset libraries), better skills (design, video, media relations, analytics) and better results for the same or lower spend. It also reduces the “single-point-of-failure” risk when a practice relies on one over-stretched admin.

3) Stronger reputation and media handling

A central press office protects the federation’s reputation, aligns messaging with ICB partners, and manages escalation pathways. You get faster, clearer responses during incidents and more proactive coverage of positive stories.

4) Governance, compliance and risk control

A hub can standardise GDPR/PECR practices, content approvals, patient consent, accessibility (WCAG), and brand usage. It’s simply safer, especially where digital channels, photography, and data capture are concerned.

5) Data-driven improvement

Centralisation enables unified dashboards, A/B testing, and UTM-tracked campaigns. You see what works across populations, not just within one practice, and you can iterate with confidence.

6) Faster delivery for cross-federation projects

Flu clinics, enhanced access, pharmacy referrals, remote monitoring - federation-wide initiatives need joined-up comms. A hub removes calendar clashes and duplicated effort.

The Friction: Cons you must design around

1) Loss of local voice and nuance

Patients trust their practice. If communications feel generic or “head office,” engagement drops. Cultural nuance, deprivation profiles and health literacy vary dramatically; one-size-fits-all can miss the mark.

2) Slower response to micro-issues

Local operational hiccups - phone outages, staffing changes, parking - need rapid, hyper-specific updates. Central queues can slow that down.

3) Perceived disempowerment

If local teams feel “done to,” they stop supplying stories or insight. Engagement becomes a compliance exercise, not a partnership.

4) Over-standardisation

Templates and rigid approvals can stifle innovation. Practices need permission to test new formats, partnerships, or community channels.

5) Single point of bottleneck

Central hubs can become busy gatekeepers. Without clear service levels and triage, everyone waits.

A better way: The “Hub-and-Spoke” operating model

The strongest federations use a hybrid approach: a central Centre of Excellence with empowered local champions. Here’s a pragmatic blueprint you can implement.

Governance: Clear roles and decisions (RACI)

• Hub (responsible/accountable): Strategy, brand, templates, press and crisis, measurement, tooling, training.

• Spokes (consulted/responsible): Local story capture, tailoring content, community channels, on-the-ground feedback.

• ICB/Partners (consulted/informed): Alignment on system campaigns, reputation management, shared data.

Content supply chain

1. Plan: Quarterly plan aligned to federation priorities (access, prevention, long-term conditions).

2. Create: Hub drafts core packs (web copy, SMS/IVR scripts, social, posters).

3. Localise: Spokes tailor for language, reading age, opening hours, transport, community groups.

4. Approve: Lightweight workflow—central brand/compliance check where needed.

5. Publish: Shared CMS and channel calendar with SLAs.

6. Learn: Common analytics and after-action reviews.

Channels and tooling (shared where possible)

• Web/CMS: Multi-site structure or shared components; central UX, local pages for specific services.

• Email/SMS: Consent-compliant, segmentable, with shared templates and opt-out management (PECR).

• Social: Federation accounts for cross-cutting messages; practice accounts for community-level engagement - linked but not locked.

• Asset Library: Logos, photos, iconography, video, alt-text guidance, translation memory.

• Press Office: Central inbox, duty rota, holding lines, escalation ladder, media briefings.

Crisis and incident communications

• Gold–Silver–Bronze structure with named spokespeople.

• Pre-approved templates (system outage, phone failure, clinic closure, data incident).

• One source of truth page with live updates; practices signpost locally.

Inclusion, accessibility, and trust

• Reading age checks and plain-language standards.

• Alt-text and captions as default.

• Community languages and translation protocols.

• PPG involvement (Patient Participation Groups) in message testing.

Measurement that matters: From vanity to value

Set outcome-led OKRs and map supporting KPIs:

• Access & demand: call abandonment rate, online consultation completion, appointment utilisation.

• Engagement & understanding: page dwell time for service changes, SMS click-through, social saves/shares.

• Perception & trust: periodic patient sentiment surveys, complaints themes, media sentiment.

• Equity: reach in targeted postcodes, language variants used, accessibility conformance.

• Reputation resilience: time-to-first-response in incidents, misinformation takedown speed.

Use a federation-wide dashboard with UTM conventions and a monthly insight forum. Publish a quarterly communications outcomes report - not to boast, but to build accountability.

Budget and Resourcing: What “Good” Looks Like

• Core team (hub): Head of Comms (strategy/reputation), Content Lead (editorial & creative), Digital Lead (UX, email/SMS, analytics), Press & Issues Manager, Designer/Producer, Comms Coordinator.

• Local champions (spokes): 0.1–0.2 WTE per practice or PCN—trained, supported, and included in planning.

• Flexible expertise: surge capacity via an external partner for campaigns, crises, or specialist creative, without adding permanent overhead.

Risks and how to mitigate them

• Risk: Local irrelevance.

  Mitigation: Mandatory localisation step; co-design with PPGs; community language packs.

  
  

• Risk: Hub bottlenecks.

  Mitigation: Clear SLAs, ticketing/triage, and “fast track” for operational updates.

  
  

• Risk: Compliance gaps.

  Mitigation: Central GDPR/PECR playbook, consent logs, DPIAs where appropriate, regular training and audits.

  
  

• Risk: Staff disengagement.

  Mitigation: Quarterly learning days, recognition for local innovations, and a feedback-to-roadmap loop.

My View: Centralise the standards, decentralise the story

Patients don’t experience “the system”; they experience their practice. My recommendation is simple:

• Centralise brand, standards, tooling, training, crisis and media handling, and measurement.

• Decentralise story capture, micro-updates, and community engagement.

• Bind them with governance, shared planning, and a culture of learning.

That is how federations protect reputation, lift quality, and still speak with a human, local voice.

Where to start (practical first steps)

1. Run a rapid audit of channels, assets, risks, and analytics across the federation.

2. Agree a 12-month comms strategy with 3–4 measurable priorities aligned to clinical objectives.

3. Stand up the hub, nominate local champions, and publish the RACI and SLAs.

4. Launch two federation-wide campaigns (e.g., vaccination & enhanced access) to prove the model.

5. Publish the first quarterly outcomes report and refine based on evidence.

If you want an experienced partner to stand this up quickly - and leave you with a sustainable, data-driven operation - Grey Sergeant can help.

About the author

Michael O’Connor is a partner at Grey Sergeant, specialising in PR, communications, and engagement across the healthcare and non-profit sectors. Through his consultancy Grey Sergeant, he helps primary care networks, GP surgeries, and healthcare organisations define their brand, strengthen their reputation, and communicate with clarity. For more information, contact michael.oconnor@greysergeant.com