“Publiq makes us more transparent; more approachable. And that’s what builds trust, long before a single brick is laid.” (Kate Jackson, Airedale NHS Foundation Trust)
It is not often that Publiq is rolled out before a single spade hits the ground, but that is exactly what is happening at Airedale Hospital in West Yorkshire. Kate Jackson (NHS) and Paul Parsons (Olovus) are part of the communications team behind the Securing the Future programme, which aims to build an entire new hospital. They prove that good communication can, and should, begin early.
Airedale Hospital, which serves a wide catchment area across three counties, is set to be replaced entirely, due to serious structural concerns caused by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). Built in the 1970s, the hospital was never intended to stand for more than 30 years, and with 84 known RAAC zones in its structure, Airedale is now among the UK’s most affected public buildings.
But while planning, funding, and enabling works are still underway, the communications team is already laying foundations of trust, transparency, and inclusion. I spoke to Kate Jackson (NHS) and Paul Parsons (Olovus) about Securing the Future and how they utilise Publiq for quick, targeted, and early communication with their stakeholders.
Kate Jackson, Communications Lead at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, is in charge of internal and external messaging for the new hospital programme. “RAAC concrete essentially crumbles over time,” she explains. “We have put extensive structural supports in place, but that is just a short-term solution. The only viable path forward is to build a completely new hospital.”
That comes with challenges. The future hospital will be built on the current site, which means construction will impact parking, traffic access, and the nearby community. And with enabling works like a multi-storey car park, new access road, electricity substation, and nursery all set to begin before the hospital itself, engaging stakeholders early has become essential.
In order to communicate and engage, Airedale turned to Publiq. The app was introduced to the Trust by external consultancy agency Olovus, led by Paul Parsons, who joined the programme to involve patients and local people in the design of the new car park and other enabling works and consult them ahead of planning applications. “We used Publiq during the pre-planning consultation for the enabling works,” Paul explains. “Our goal was to bring all the project information into one place, to offer clarity, accessibility, and a sense of transparency for local residents.”
The team promoted the app via leaflet drops to around 500 homes, QR codes at exhibitions, press releases, and social media. Crucially, they also used Publiq to invite feedback via surveys and announce events like roadshows and workshops. “Even though there is not much visible change yet,” says Kate, “the app allows us to start building an audience. People who will already be connected, informed and engaged once construction begins.”
What makes this project different from other infrastructure programmes is not just the concrete or the complexity, it is the connection. “Hospitals are different,” Paul explains. “This is not just a building site to the community. It is the place they were born, where their children were born, where their parents were treated. It is a deeply emotional space. The NHS belongs to the people is even the first sentence of the NHS constitution.”
That expectation determines how engagement is done. Paul notes that the tone, timing, and transparency of communications must reflect not only what is happening on site, but also the trust placed in the institution behind it. “We are not just updating people on what’s happening with the car parks,” he says. “We are asking them to come with us on a journey, to share with them why this change is necessary, and how it will serve them in the future.”
One of the key challenges at Airedale has been the diversity, and overlap, of stakeholder groups. Unlike a typical residential or transport project, a hospital touches many lives in many different ways. “It is not just residents who live nearby,” Kate explains. “We are dealing with hospital staff, patients, visitors, commuters, parents with children in the on-site nursery, and even people who are thinking of moving into the area. Each of those groups interacts with the hospital differently, and they all have different needs.”
Paul agrees: “The categories blur. You might have a nurse who also lives nearby, parks on-site, and uses the nursery. So you cannot think in rigid boxes. You need a system that allows you to target messages intelligently, based on what is relevant to each person.” This makes communicating complex. “Not everyone needs the same information,” adds Kate. “If we want people to stay engaged, we have to respect their time and attention, and give them content that actually matters to them.”
Paul’s solution was segmentation. Working closely with the Trust, Olovus helped define target groups on Publiq, including local residents, commuters, staff, potential movers to the area, and people with a general interest in the hospital. “We can now tailor messages,” says Kate. “That means fewer irrelevant updates, and more useful, engaging content for the people actually affected.”
Involving the public in planning decisions has already led to real improvements. “From the beginning, we have been clear that this is not just about informing people,” Paul says. “It is about giving them a genuine say in how things are done.” One example he shares seems simple: toilets. “We were talking about temporary parking during the enabling works. Patients asked if there will be toilets near the car park. It was such a practical, obvious thing. Now it is in the plan.”
For Paul, these moments are proof that community engagement is not just about soft metrics like awareness or sentiment, it is about building better infrastructure. “I know the designs are stronger because we invited the public to contribute,” he says. “We have had suggestions on screening, access, signage, even where construction traffic should go. These are things you only get when you ask.” Kate agrees: “People notice things that we might overlook, because they live here. They use the hospital every day. Their insight is valuable, and when we act on it, it shows we are listening.”
Both Kate and Paul emphasise that Publiq is more than just a digital noticeboard. “It allows for two-way interaction,” Paul notes. “People can send messages or questions through the app, and we can respond directly, without having to rely on social media, where conversations are public and sometimes noisy.” Kate agrees: “It is that real-time engagement that makes the biggest difference. People cannot always attend meetings or exhibitions, but they can quickly check the app on their phone.”
The team has also begun exploring Publiq’s other features, including scheduling posts, creating surveys, and analysing user data by geography and demographics. “It is incredibly helpful,” says Kate, “to know which areas are engaging with our updates, and which ones need more attention.”
The main hospital build is not expected to begin until 2027 or 2028. That gives the team time to grow their user base and explore more interactive content, including video updates, multilingual support, and targeted alerts.
As the programme progresses, the Trust will continue to use Publiq alongside more traditional tools like newsletters, posters, and in-person engagement. “There is no one-size-fits-all,” Paul says, “but Publiq provides us with a foundation for scalable, responsive communication that adapts as the project evolves.”
For Kate, the benefits go beyond efficiency. “It makes us more transparent; more approachable. And that is what builds trust, long before a single brick is laid.”