The Competencies of Senior Communicators in the UK National Health Service

This paper presents the findings of original research into the competencies, or behavioural repertoires, of board-level communicators in the UK National Health Service (NHS). Eight core competencies specific to that group were discovered and these are presented along with the supporting behaviour sets. The paper compares and contrasts these competencies with those of communicators in other public sector organisations and with a group drawn from the private sector. While the research found that there are a large number of similarities between the NHS and these other sectors, there are a number of significant differences. The paper discusses these differences in depth. Communication practitioners aspiring to take on a board-level role in the NHS will need to learn these behaviours and enact them if they wish to be successful in their search for promotion. Similarly, board-level communicators who wish to equip their team with higher-level competencies in readiness for promotion to senior levels can use the research as a blueprint for coaching and training. The paper concludes with recommendations for further research.