If you have any queries about the campaigns listed below, or would like any further information, please don t hesitate to contact me.

Transcription

1 Mr. Leo Varadkar, T.D., Dail Eireann, Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 June 25 th 2008 Dear Deputy Varadkar, In response to your parliamentary questions regarding advertising campaigns within the health sector, I am pleased to supply a response from the HSE in relation to your questions. The enclosed information provides details of advertising campaigns managed since 2005 to date, and includes a total cost for the campaigns, including media and production costs. We have also supplied brief summaries of the purpose of the advertising in each case. The information is in two parts, one from the National Communications Unit (NCU) and the second from Population Health Health Promotion. Broadly speaking, the NCU manages any required public information campaigns about services or developments, while Health Promotion is responsible for promoting healthier lifestyles in the population. The HSE also carries out recruitment advertising on a regular basis, which based on the text of your question I have disregarded for the purposes of this reply. I have also disregarded minor one-off public notice advertisements, like tender requests or consultation notices, which I didn t feel were within the scope of your question. Finally, as you will be aware, the HSE commissioned a consortium to manage the Health Repayment Scheme over the last years, to include both the management of the scheme to facilitate repayments of illegal long-stay charges, and publicity of the scheme to the public. I am awaiting details of the overall cost of the advertising carried out on our behalf as part of this scheme, and will forward to you as soon as I receive it. If you have any queries about the campaigns listed below, or would like any further information, please don t hesitate to contact me. With best regards, Fidelma Browne Head of Public Communications, HSE, Parkgate St. Business Centre, Dublin 8 Tel , Mobile , fidelma.browne@hse.ie

2 To ask the Minister for Health and Children if agencies, boards, quangos or other bodies within the remit of her Department have carried out advertising campaigns to promote policies or programmes being implemented by those agencies or by her Department in the years 2005, 2006 and 2007; the campaign or relevant programme; the cost of advertising in publications, broadcast advertising, online advertising, outdoor advertising, and other forms of advertising as well as consultancy or production costs for each of these years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. Leo Varadkar (22350) To ask the Minister for Health and Children if agencies, boards, quangos or other bodies within the remit of her Department have carried out of will carry out advertising campaigns to promote policies or programmes being implemented by those agencies or by her Department in the course of 2008; the campaign or relevant programme; the cost of advertising in publications, broadcast advertising, online advertising, outdoor advertising and other forms of advertising as well as consultancy or production costs to date in 2008; the anticipated cost by the end of 2008; and if she will make a statement on the matter. Leo Varadkar (22364) Part One National Communications Unit The NCU provides a comprehensive communications service to the HSE, including managing any required information campaigns in relation to new services or developments. Below are details of public information campaigns managed since Costs refer to advertising, and include both media and production costs. Any associated public relations activity in relation to these initiatives would have been carried out by in-house HSE Press Office and Communications staff. August GP Visit Cards In 2005, the HSE introduced GP Visit Cards, which allow people to access Family Doctor Services free of charge. This important new service was introduced to the eligible public in order to allow them to make applications National and Regional Print Adverts Radio Adverts Total Cost: 100,000 December HSE Information Line The HSE information line became a national service in 2005, and print advertising was used to highlight this useful service to our clients. The HSE infoline answers queries on all HSE services and entitlements, from Monday to Saturday, 8am to 8pm. National Print Adverts Total Cost: 24,160 January HiB Booster In 2005/6, the HSE engaged in a HiB Booster Catch Up Campaign, to allow young children to access this required immunisation. Radio advertising was used to draw attention of parents to the need to present for immunisation and the timing of their child s immunisation. National and Regional Radio Adverts Total Cost: 60,000

3 March GP Visit Card Based on the uptake figures for GP Visit Cards since their introduction in 2005, the HSE carried out another burst of public information advertising to encourage more people to access this entitlement, using alternative media. Calls in response to this advertising were high and applications increased significantly during National Television Advert Outdoor and Luas Advertising Total Cost: 109,000 April/May European Health Insurance Card In summer 2006, the first round of EHIC cards in Ireland were due for renewal (first issued 2004). The HSE used national and regional radio adverts to remind the public to check that their EHIC card was in date, and that if they were travelling to the EU that summer, they could renew online at Within the first weeks after the advertising, over 150,000 cards were renewed. National and Regional Radio Total Cost: 63,000 Winter 2006 and Keep Well this Winter The promotion and prevention campaign of the Winter Initiative had three main aims: to develop an informed and empowered public who understands the choices available to them and their role in protecting their own health and the health of their families, particularly during the winter months; to create staff awareness and understanding of the winter campaign and their role in achieving the goals of the Winter Plan for 2006; and to create media awareness of the ongoing plan and the successful outcomes. The campaign focused on promoting self-care and preventing ill health during the winter months The four main strands to the campaign were:, Flu and pneumococcal immunisation programmes, Stay Safe and Warm public information campaign, Use the Right Door public information campaign, Fall Prevention public information campaign National and Regional Radio National and Regional Print Total Costs for 2006 and 2007: 530,000 January D-DOC GP Out of Hours Service In January 2007, the HSE advertised the new GP Out of Hours Service for North Dublin, using local print and radio to tell people in North Dublin about the new service and how it could be accessed. Local Print Local Radio Total Cost: 57,200

4 March Healthcare Associated Infection Phase 1 Hand Hygiene when visiting Hospitals As part of the HSE s overall Action Plan to combat Healthcare Associated Infection (HCAI), this first phase of a major public information campaign reminded the public of the importance of cleaning their hands before visiting patients in hospitals or healthcare facilities. Television Adverts National and Regional Radio Adverts Outdoor Adverts National Print Adverts Total Cost: 800,000 April 2007 Child Protection Parents Who Listen Protect Parents who Listen, Protect was a major public information campaign that came about as a recommendation of the Ferns Inquiry. The campaign reminded us that parents and communities that listen to children, protect children and was designed to create an environment where children could discuss and disclose any issues with which they needed help or support. Television Adverts National and Regional Radio Total Cost: 509,000 June 2007 Disability Act 2005 On June 1, 2007, provisions of the Disability Act 2005 which provided for Assessments of Need for all children under 5 years came into operation. The HSE publicised this to allow parents to know of the service and how to apply. National Print Adverts Total Cost: 12,000 September 2007 Hepatitis C Insurance Scheme This scheme was introduced in 2007 and allows who were people infected with Hepatitis C through blood products within the Irish State to access life and travel insurance at normal costs. The purpose of the advertising was to make clients aware of this new and important service. National and Regional Radio Adverts National and Regional Print Adverts Total Cost: 40,000 January 2008 Healthcare Associated Infection Phase 2 Patient Empowerment Have you cleaned your hands? This second phase of the HSE s public information campaign on Healthcare Associated Infection (HCAI) was designed to empower patients to ask their healthcare workers if they had cleaned their hands before treating them. Television Adverts, National and Regional Radio Adverts Outdoor Advertising, Medical Press Total Cost: 640,000

5 NCU Campaigns planned for the remainder of 2008 are: Elder Abuse This campaign will inform and educate our staff and the public about the need to protect older people who are vulnerable to or have experienced abuse. The campaign may include printed material for staff and the public, a training DVD and a radio advertising campaign. Funding has been allocated, but no advertising costs have been agreed at this point. Immunisation Flu Campaign and New Childhood Immunisation Programme Each year the HSE uses advertising (radio, poster and leaflet) to invite all at-risk groups to get the Flu Vaccine. This year, in addition, there is a required public information initiative in train due to changes in the national childhood immunisation programme. Again, use of advertising, including media or production costs, has not been agreed upon at this stage.

6 Part Two - Population Health Health Promotion HSE Population Health Health Promotion assumed responsibility for health promotion public awareness campaigns and the development of health information resources for Health Promotion Population Health in March 2006, so had no spend in 2005 as the functions rested at the time with the Department of Health and Children. Health Promotion Campaigns are based on national strategies using health related social marketing techniques. Health related social marketing is the systematic application of marketing concepts and techniques to achieve specific behaviour goals, to improve health and reduce health inequalities and should be differentiated from Advertising /PR programmes. Key elements of this process are setting behaviour goals, gaining understanding of the population /individuals it is targeting, considering those things within and outside an individuals control. Social marketing looks at what influences behaviour and considers ways to increase motivation for positive health behaviour while removing the barriers. The following is an outline of the health promotion campaigns that are included in the remit of Health Promotion Population Health and the monies spent on these as requested for 2006 and and 2007 In the following tables, is an outline of the Public Awareness Campaigns in 2006 and Alcohol to Health Promotion Public Awareness Campaigns on the dangers associated with overuse of Alcohol. Research indicates that alcohol accounted for substantial number of emergency in-patient admissions to acute hospitals. Total amount spent Cost 217, ,951 Obesity to development of the Health Promotion Public Awareness Campaigns on Obesity which was aired as an Island of Ireland Campaign in Cost 0 167,618

7 Breastfeeding to Health Promotion Public Awareness Campaigns on Breastfeeding. In 2006, the campaign was focused on the role of partners and family in supporting mothers to breastfeed based on research that indicated this support was key in mothers breastfeeding their babies. In 2007, the campaign was aimed at informing mothers what other supports and services were there to help them when they chose to breastfeed their baby. Cost 229, ,170 Sexual Health to Health Promotion Public Awareness Campaigns on Sexual Health. In 2006 planning and development took place to prepare for the campaign which was launched in This campaign was aimed at promoting condom use to combat the ongoing increase in Sexually Transmitted Infections which have increased by over 250% in Ireland since the mid 1990 s. Cost 147, ,838 Drugs The following monies were spent in 2006 and 2007 on planning and development of the Drugs campaign which was launched in February This Campaign Advisory Group agreed that a campaign was needed to highlight the dangers associated with Cocaine use. Figures indicated that the numbers receiving cocaine-related treatment in Ireland had jumped by 400% since Cost 3,418 41,693 Tobacco to Health Promotion Public Awareness Campaigns on Tobacco related health issues. These included the National Quitline which supports those who wish to stop smoking and is managed by the Irish Cancer Society on behalf of Health Promotion Population Health. In 2007, the National Smoking Campaign was aimed at smokers who were not yet contemplating quitting particularly young women. Research indicated that while typical health messages were ignored by this group, they placed a high value on their appearance and were more open to messages that showed how smoking would damage their appearance. Cost 510,722 1,209,119

8 Mental Health Awareness Campaign The objective of the Your Mental Health Awareness campaign is to improve attitudes to mental health and help seeking in the context of persistently high suicide rates and negative attitudes to mental health and getting help. It has been reported that the vast majority of Irish people agree that anyone can experience a mental health problem yet a majority also say they wouldn t want others to know if they themselves had a problem, suggesting lingering stigma and embarrassment around mental health issues. The campaign has been developed in partnership with over 30 voluntary and statutory sector agencies working in mental health. The first phase of the campaign has been positively evaluated showing a marked improvement in attitudes to mental health among the general public who had seen the campaign advertising. The amount spent in 2007 was million and in 2008 it is projected to be 0.43 million. PQ To date in 2008 we have committed and spent the following monies on Health Promotion Public Awareness Campaigns for those topic areas we in Health Promotion Population Health are responsible for. Alcohol The following monies have been spent on Advertising media, PR and Publications related to the Health Promotion Public Awareness Campaigns on Alcohol aimed at increasing awareness in adults about the extent of underage drinking, the ease with which young people have access to alcohol and the benefits in delaying the age at which young people start to drink. Cost 778,086 Obesity The following monies have been committed by the HSE to Advertising media, PR and Publications related to the Health Promotion Public Awareness Campaigns on Obesity which is an Island of Ireland campaign aimed at supporting parents as positive role models for their children in relation to healthy eating and physical activity. These monies are part of the total cost of 1.35 million including funding from our partners Safefood. Cost 580,000

9 Breastfeeding The following monies include those spent to date and committed for Advertising media, PR and Publications related to the Health Promotion Public Awareness Campaigns on Breastfeeding which is aimed at increasing awareness of the support available to mothers who wish to breastfeed their babies and developing the theme from last year. Cost 190,000 Sexual Health The following monies include those spent and committed to Advertising media, PR and Publications related to Health Promotion Public Awareness Campaigns on Sexual Health which is aimed at reducing the incidence of sexually transmitted infections in Ireland and promoting safe sex. Cost 180,000 Drugs The following monies have been committed and spent on Advertising media, PR Online and Outdoor and Publications related to Health Promotion Public Awareness Campaigns on Drugs which are aimed at highlighting the dangers associated with Cocaine use and providing facts on the dangers associated with Cocaine use. Cost 636,940 Tobacco The following monies have been committed and spent on Advertising media, PR and Publications related to Health Promotion Public Awareness Campaigns on Tobacco which are aimed at raising awareness of the supports available to those wishing to stop smoking and at preventing adults from starting to smoke. As calls to the Quitline increase four-fold following its advertising, we have increased our advertising spend. Cost 1,200,000