“PR Is dead,” says Sir Martin Sorrell. In healthcare, that’s a dangerous idea.

Sir Martin Sorrell recently said on Radio 4 that “PR is dead.” It’s a strong soundbite. And in healthcare, it’s also a risky one.

Because if there’s one sector where PR, or more accurately, reputation and trust, still matters profoundly, it’s healthcare.

Let me clear something up first

If PR in healthcare means glossy campaigns, empty slogans or press releases that avoid difficult truths, then yes, that kind of PR deserves to disappear.

Patients don’t want spin. Staff don’t want platitudes. Communities don’t want corporate messaging dressed up as care. But confusing that with the death of PR misses the point entirely.

Healthcare runs on trust, not reach

In the NHS and wider health system, trust isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s operational.

People need to trust:

• their GP

• their local hospital

• the advice they’re given

• the leaders making decisions

• the system itself

When trust breaks down, behaviour changes. Appointments are missed. Misinformation fills the gap. Staff morale drops. Complaints rise. Headlines harden.

No amount of paid media or social content fixes that.

What does help is consistent, honest, human communication - before things go wrong, not just after. That is reputation management in its purest form.

PR in healthcare was never about publicity

This is where I disagree most strongly with the idea that PR is obsolete.

In healthcare, PR isn’t about coverage. It’s about confidence. It’s about clarity. It’s about explaining complex, often unpopular decisions in a way that patients and communities can understand and accept, even if they don’t like them.

It’s about asking, “How will this land with patients, staff and partners?” before policies are rolled out, services are reconfigured or systems are merged.

When PR is missing from those conversations, the consequences aren’t theoretical. They’re lived - by patients and frontline staff.

The irony: healthcare PR is most visible when it’s absent

You rarely hear praise for good healthcare communications. But you always notice when it goes wrong.

When:

• service changes aren’t explained

• rumours fill the vacuum

• staff hear news through the media

• patients feel talked at, not with

That’s not a failure of marketing. It’s a failure of strategic communication and engagement. And no AI tool, social scheduler or content factory can fix that after the fact.

What’s really changing in healthcare communications

PR in healthcare isn’t dying. It’s being forced to grow up. What’s emerging is PR that sits closer to:

• clinical leadership

• operational decision-making

• workforce engagement

• system partnerships

• risk and governance

It’s less about “managing messages” and more about building understanding, legitimacy and trust over time.

That kind of PR is harder. It requires judgement, empathy and credibility. But it’s exactly what the health system needs right now.

A final thought

I worked for Sir Martin for many years. He’s a visionary, a futurist and a driving force in the world of comms. I get his comment but if PR were dead in healthcare, leaders wouldn’t worry about public confidence, patient trust or staff morale. Trusts wouldn’t invest in engagement teams. GPs wouldn’t care about their local reputation. Systems wouldn’t talk endlessly about transparency and accountability.

But they do, because they have to.

Healthcare doesn’t function without trust. And trust doesn’t happen by accident.

So no, PR isn’t dead in healthcare. It’s just no longer about noise. It’s about trust.

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 healthcare organisations define their brand, strengthen their reputation, and communicate with clarity. For more information, contact michael.oconnor@greysergeant.com