Vision
Following the start of the swine flu outbreak in mid-2009, NHS Hillingdon Primary Care Trust in west London needed specialist communications input to ensure that accurate and timely messages reached key stakeholders, including other statutory bodies, the public, the local voluntary sector and NHS staff. Uncertainly over the severity of the outbreak meant that rapid response and flexibility needed to be built into communications plans. A particular concern centred on staff uptake of vaccinations; which had historically been very poor.

Action
Working as a member of the Hillingdon Pandemic Flu Silver Command, Stuart Notholt took the lead in delivering swine flu communications to stakeholders, providing a one-stop source of authoritative communications advice. Stuart had previously spent a year with the Department of Health developing risk-management based pandemic flu communications for the English Strategic Health Authorities, so was ideally placed to contribute. Stuart wrote the swine flu communications plans for the PCT, and when on to deliver it, including hands on delivery of wide range of collateral communications assets. A key tool was the establishment of an intranet/extranet to enable remote access of communications tools.

Results
Positive and widespread coverage was achieved in local media (including front page coverage in the main local newspaper). Local governmental and statutory bodies, such as the local Council, emergency and voluntary bodies, were coached to adapt healthcare and other messages for their own needs. An extensive 'grass roots' internal communications programme was initiated. Instead of the 25% uptake of vaccination amongst staff that had been anticipated from previous experience, this resulted in a 70% uptake - the highest of any PCT in London.

Vision
Governments throughout the world were working to prepare countermeasures to a potential pandemic flu pandemic - recognized as the biggest single public health risk. In the UK, the Department of Health needed consistent communications strategies, capable of reaching the public, healthcare workers, and local government agencies such as the emergency services, to alert stakeholders to the risk and ensure that media and other communications assets were in place.

Action
Stuart Notholt worked with the English Strategic Health Authorities (SHA) and with colleagues in the Department of Health to ensure that each SHA had agreed communications plans drafted and tested. He wrote and delivered the 'Black Swan' high-level exercise to simulate communications challenges during the pandemic and managed internal communications between the Department of Health and the pandemic flu leads at SHA and Primary Care Trust level. Bespoke plans were also prepared for acute and mental health NHS trusts.

Results
All English SHAs had pandemic flu communications plans in position by the time of the outbreak of swine flu in May 2009. The UK's pandemic flu countermeasures programme was deployed operationally, providing a robust and successful response to the outbreak. During the swine flu outbreak, Stuart Notholt worked directly for NHS Hilingdon in delivering its communications programme.

Vision
As the sole regulatory body for the City of London, the Financial Services Authority was required to make available copies of its Handbook of Rules and Guidance, an expanding collection of 17 ring-bound volumes totalling some 3000 pages, available to the 23,000 firms under regulation. The FSA lacked the skills to move rapidly away from its obsolete paper-based publishing approach, which was no longer financially nor logistically sustainable.

Action
Stuart Notholt managed the transition from paper-based to electronic publishing. Proposals for an unworkable proprietary delivery route were abandoned in favour of the industry-standard Portable Document Format (PDF) technology. Document search and individual customization of the Handbook by regulated firms was facilitated through a specialized Acrobat plug-in which concentrated search results according to the user's profile. A marketing communication campaign aimed at regulated firms highlighted the changes and their benefits.

Results
Electronic publishing saved an estimated £6 million on print and distribution costs compared to the previously proposed paper based versions of the FSA Handbook. Easy customization of the Handbook by regulated firms was enabled, whilst meeting statutory requirements to make all sections of the rules available. Remaining hard copy publishing costs were minimalized, as mailed updates could be restricted to newsletters, with pointers to the relevant resources on the FSA's website. Uptake of the electronic version was extremely high, with over 90% of regulated firms opting for electronic delivery over hard copy distribution. This transition to electronic publishing was used by Adobe as a case study.

Vision
Banking group Lloyds-TSB needed support delivering a corporate communications and business transformation programme arising out of the merger of three advisory/sales teams to create a new Wealth Management business. The existing communication teams were small and fragmented, and required bolstering and co-ordination. Planning for a major launch event was significantly behind schedule.

Action
Stuart Notholt wrote and delivered a strategic communications plan bringing together elements of the existing communications teams. Coaching was provided to communications managers and recommendations were made for future communications structures. Stuart worked with individual workstreams to determine, and deliver, their internal communications requirements. He also took the lead on the management and organization of the high-profile launch conference.

Results
The communications aspects of the creation of the new wealth management product were successfully delivered, with the integrated sales team understanding the combined corporate objectives, value proposition, and change trajectory. The new division's communications were integrated with overall Lloyds-TSB messages and systems.

Vision
International property investment firm CB Richard Ellis had experienced significant growth in their Europe, Middle East and Asia division, largely through acquisition or merger of regional partners. This resulted in a situation in which there was no consistency in corporate messaging and in the practicalities of press and public relations work. Clearance processes for press releases were ill-defined, while a centralized 'one size fits all' approach was equally inappropriate in preserving both local autonomy and in addressing very wide differences in media culture and legal frameworks.

Action
Using experience gained through managing the press relations for major international organizations, Stuart Notholt developed a new press relations strategy for the EMEA division. This set the guidelines for media communications, whether domestic, cross-border, or international. Clear thresholds were established setting out the authority levels for managers seeking to engage in press relations. General guidance on international media relations, the need for cultural and legal sensitivities and specific 'rules of engagement' were also created.

Results
The new EMEA media strategy was enthusiastically adopted and rolled out throughout the CB Richard Ellis EMEA division. A consistent approach to media relations was adopted, which enabled the CB Richard Ellis group to better demonstrate its comprehensive ability to address client needs across borders and regions. Similarly, the dangers of inappropriate media communications were reduced.