Media Centre

The communications team is responsible for media relations on behalf of Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust.

The team can assist journalists writing for the national, regional, trade and specialist media and is the first point of contact for all media enquiries.

All reasonable media requests and enquiries will be considered and responded to positively and openly. The team can assist with wide range of media requests including:

  • providing clinical experts for comment on health-related issues
  • providing case studies
  • condition checks
  • overseeing filming
  • media support for major incidents

Due to the nature of the business, operational requirements, patient safety and patient and staff confidentiality must come first. The Trust reserves the right to decline media requests which conflict with these or that are not in the interests of the Trust.

During office hours

The press office is open Monday to Friday between 08.30 and 17.00. All media enquiries will be evaluated and dealt with accordingly. Telephone 01702 385048

Out of hours

Outside office hours, at weekends and bank holidays the on-call communications manager will deal with urgent enquiries from journalists. Non-urgent enquiries will be dealt with the next working day.

Filming and/or interviewing requests

Filming and interviewing cannot take place in the hospital grounds without prior consent of the communications team. Proposals can be emailed to mse.communications@nhs.net.

For the proposal to be considered quickly and fairly, it will help if the following information is included:

  • Name, organisation and contact details
  • Title
  • Purpose
  • Delivery format
  • Target audience
  • Duration of the programme/piece
  • Duration of filming/interviewing
  • Proposed date for airing
  • Proposed subject/s (including patients/staff)

Condition checks

Patient condition checks should be referred to the press office during office hours.  Only a brief indication of the progress of the patient will be given - for example, the patient is satisfactory or stable or critically ill. This information will only be released if the patient or their next of kin give consent and if the name of the individual patient concerned is provided, with the correct spelling. Please do not contact the wards directly.

Major incidents

Should a major incident occur, the hospital has a contingency plan that includes arrangements for the media. A press centre will be set up and the location of this will be made available. Regular updates will be available and there will be opportunity for interviews, photographs and filming where appropriate.

Patient confidentiality

The hospital will not divulge any information about a patient without express permission from the patient concerned or from their next of kin.

Corporate communications contact information

Corporate communications team: mse.communications@nhs.net

Press office (during office hours): 01702 385048

Press office (out of hours urgent enquiries only): via hospital switchboards, details on Our hospitals page