public relations Andrew Draper drew on old and new skills during a vigorous campaign


emergency department.’ This went on every media statement we sent out. Five south Wales health boards had


Saving my A&E W


hen a campaign sprang up to save my local hospital’s accident and emergency department in Llantrisant,


south Wales, I decided to offer my journalistic services. I believed downgrading the department would result in needless deaths. I thought I could help drum up some media coverage and help put pressure on the health board into backing down. I contacted Len Arthur, chair of the


Campaign to Save Royal Glamorgan Hospital A&E, and offered to help with public relations. He readily accepted. Little did I know what I was letting myself in for. The campaign was ballooning. A


Facebook group was set up on the Sunday and, within days, had 10,000 members. A noisy protest at the board’s meeting on the Thursday, organised at very short notice, drew more than 400 activists with home-made banners and placards. Many had never protested about anything before but felt passionate about defending this public service. Within a fortnight of starting up, the Facebook group had 19,000 members,


posters and leaflets were being distributed and displayed, banners were being hung at strategic traffic points and orange ribbons and bows were being snapped up like hot cakes. Local trade unions offered practical and financial support. The campaign lobbied politicians, the Welsh Government and health board officials. We had gained a strong presence on


Facebook and on the streets, and community organisations began declaring support. A petition throughout the Rhondda Cynon Taf area – deliberately on paper to involve those not online – attracted more than 24,000 signatures. That was quite an achievement during a pandemic when we all had to stay at home. Initially, I made sure statements and


flyers were proofread. When someone between us and the printers unhelpfully edited some leaflets, I had to step in and correct them. I soon earned the nickname ‘Andrew the Grammar’. The local media were showing a keen


interest, so it was essential we shaped the message. The campaign had clearly defined its aim: ‘The permanent retention at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital of a 24-hour. consultant-led


“


It was very heartening to see so many members of the public thanking journalists for their work


devised the South Wales Plan in 2014, which was driven by austerity. The Royal Glamorgan A&E had been run down gradually and, with the final permanent A&E consultant due to retire, the board saw few options: closure and conversion to a minor injuries unit or reduction to a part-time facility. I trained as a print journalist and, since 1990, my wife and I have run our own business, Nordic International. Journalism is at the heart of it, along with translation services. Like many journalists, I have done PR work, but never anything quite like this campaign. Six months later, I was fielding calls from the BBC, ITV, Walesonline and the local media. I helped arrange interviews with people with powerful stories of how the A&E had saved their lives. A campaign strength was having someone gathering case studies. I also stood in for a live interview with ITV as the chair was shielding and vice-chair was unavailable. Our media statements were, towards the end, going out in English and Welsh, the translation of which I arranged. I also ensured Welsh speakers were available for interview. One was my children’s former school teacher. I had to reassure her that her pandemic hair really was OK when going on TV. Along with the rest of our fantastic


organisers’ group, I was pumping engaging posts to our Facebook group. When the health board finally decided to withdraw their plans, I drew on my news agency experience and was banging out the story in short takes. The Facebook group was going wild with delight at this rarest of victories. One of the highlights of the campaign for me as a journalist was when I called for a shout out and thank you to the journalists (some of whom were in the Facebook group) for helping to tell our story. It was very heartening to see so many members of the public thanking journalists for their work. During lockdown, I went on Dan


Mason’s course on how to shoot and edit video on the iPhone, organised via NUJ Training Wales. It came in very handy – I immediately started producing social media campaign videos. In all, it was a tremendous campaign


that will go down in local history, and I was proud to have played my small part in it.


theJournalist | 21


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