The role of healthcare comms in the fight to help improve health and wellness

For some, 2024 was a hard year in the sector and I have no doubt many people in healthcare comms asked themselves at some point what’s it all for and is it worth it. Having worked in this sector since finishing my studies, I’ve recently been reminded of the answers to these questions, and wanted to share that here, in the hope that it may do the same for others.

It happened a few days before Christmas when my wife got a call to say one of her cousins had sadly passed. Now we all know that winter, unfortunately, is a time when death rates increase, particularly among the elderly. Sadly, that type of call is therefore not uncommon at this time of year, and I am sure others reading this may have had a similar experience, for which I share my sympathy. What changes this particular story is that he was only 42 years old and left behind a six-month-old baby, his only child.

Scott Stewart had motor neurone disease (MND), but nevertheless his passing at this time was unexpected. Diagnosed less than two years ago, he had gone from an active scratch golfer who was a regular on the course at Gleneagles near where he lived, to wheelchair bound, struggling with everyday movement and speech. We all work in the healthcare sector so probably know that MND is a life-shortening, progressive disease that causes muscle weakness, stiffness and paralysis that gets worse over time. There is currently no effective treatment or cure.

Scott did not waste those two years after his diagnosis, setting up an online business he could run from a wheelchair to try to provide for his family and finance what is a highly expensive disease to live with (eg, mobility scooter, home adaption). He also dedicated that time to vocally advocating for investment and research to enable a world free of MND. He candidly shared his own day-to-day reality to help raise awareness and understanding about the impact of MND. Of course, he did this knowing that ‘…any breakthrough in medicine will probably not benefit me, it will benefit other people in the future and I’m very much at peace with that’. Described as becoming a huge figure within the MND community, he was awarded the inaugural James Clarke Award by the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation. Perhaps the impact he made is also evidenced by the national press coverage of his death, with an ex-Scottish rugby international and the Scottish open golf champion all providing personal tributes.

You may be thinking that this is ‘a sad story’ and that Scott ‘sounds an amazing chap’ – but also wondering what I’m trying to say?

My message is simple, and it is this. Scott spent the last years of his life trying to make a difference in the health world. We get to do that every day. And we get paid to do it. Everything we do is so important in the fight to help improve health and wellness.

What is it all for? It’s to ensure that evidence and facts drown out fake news. And that healthcare, and the research behind it, is inclusive for all. It’s about helping to get the best treatments to those who need them the most and ensuring healthcare professionals have access to the data they need to make informed decisions in partnership with patients. It’s about championing upcoming research and helping ensure funding so it can continue, and giving a strong voice to patients to maintain the focus on delivery for patients.

Yes, sometimes our work might feel slightly distanced from those aims, for example the corporate comms for a large pharma business. But if research and development companies aren’t sustainable, where will those future life-saving developments come from? Where will Scott’s hope for future MND treatments, and a cure, come from? Drug development remains an ever-costly business, so it is crucial that investment and belief in the pharmaceutical sector remains strong.

And we get to do our vital part in all this, however small, while hopefully being in good health ourselves.

So, the next time you have a bad day, or a frustrating meeting, please think of Scott Stewart – and recognise your part in doing something amazing and hopefully motivate yourself through the challenge.

What is it all for? It’s for Scott and the millions of others, including – at some point – us, who will most likely need and benefit from appropriate and innovative healthcare. There are not many jobs that can provide that level of social value.

Visit mndassociation.org and myname5doddie.co.uk to find out more.