Department of Health and Social Care: Public Relations
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many staff work in his communications department; how many work in the communications department of NHS England; and for what reason external public relations staff have been engaged.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock
As of 31 May 2026, the Department had 79 staff working in the Communications Directorate, including four external affairs specialists who help to ensure our stakeholders and partners have visibility of the Department’s work and are able to support where appropriate. The Department’s Communications Directorate covers a broad range of roles including media relations, marketing and branding, public health campaigns, internal communications, and external publishing on the GOV.UK website.
As of 31 May 2026, within the NHS England Public Accountability, Communications and Engagement directorate, there are 279 staff members, covering a wide range of roles and support functions, including business operations, system and stakeholder engagement, events and visits teams, and Parliamentary briefing and Freedom of Information management.
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