Member Blog

I want to bring some balance into the message/media mix. I would also like to offer some words of advice for start-up enterprises based on my own business experience.

Social media has transformed the way that we communicate, as individuals sharing with friends and as businesses building a customer base through trust and recommendation. Little wonder that so much blog space is filled with ‘route to market’ advice. But, hang on a minute, what is it that we are sending on the chosen route? Content of course.

Communications Technology and Data Management are specialist fields that have changed forever the way that advertising agencies and their related services work. An over-emphasis on media channels however can confuse and overshadow the keystone of your marketing activities – content of course.

There are only two things that we can see on a website, facebook page, brochure or tablet of stone: words and images. It’s the content that sells, not the delivery system.

Now, don’t get me wrong – it’s vital that we get our messages to our target audience through channels which will maximise the ROI. We content creators must shape our copy style and structure to suit the intended platform. An integrated approach twixt message and media is clearly essential, but, putting media before message is like sourcing transport before the goods are ordered.

Whatever your business, whether you offer products or services, think hard about your target customers and your competitors. What sets you apart and will make you the chosen one? Define your USP and you have found your core message. This is particularly true for start-up enterprises. You need to sell yourself from the get-go. Don’t let anyone persuade you that advertising is a waste of money. Only bad advertising is. Good content is your best salesman and he should always return more than he costs.

You’re an expert in your business but don’t hesitate to talk to experts who know how and where to sell your offer. Beware of advice that confuses and jargon that is used for cool effect. And beware the myth-makers…

Myth 1: “Advertising is dead.” Good advice from those who believe Elvis is alive.

Myth 2: “The medium is the message.” Wrong – no message, no medium. But this from Marshall McLuhan who famously was paid a handsome fee by General Motors only to tell them that automobiles were a thing of the past.

Myth 3: “Marketing creates brands.” Truth – customer experience creates brands.

If you are a start-up business wanting to get your story read, (and why would you not?) my advice is to make sure it’s worth reading. Stating the obvious, yes, but attention spans are short in the digital age. You need content that says exactly what you do, (so many fail to do this with absolute clarity) and tells your reader what’s in it for them. Your target customers are not interested in you, only in what you can do for them!

Never talk down to your audience. As advertising guru David Ogilvy said, “The consumer isn’t a moron; she is your wife.” Using the right tone of voice to address your target customers and to be relevant to the chosen medium is critical.

When your prospects become customers do everything and more to keep them. If content is King in the marketing realm, customer service is Queen. You have done the hard work to win a customer – don’t lose her through shoddy after-sales service. Positive word-of-mouth is good news but in an age of universal critics the reverse can do untold damage. Negative comments on sites like TripAdvisor demonstrate this point perfectly.

Writing styles and language usage are continually being re-shaped in the rapidly changing world of communications. Social media and website structure can impose tight disciplines on the copywriter. Without discipline however, copy can lose focus, and the reader’s attention. Effective content is concise and targeted. Above all it involves the reader emotionally and calls him to action.

From a very different genre, Ernest Hemingway showed us in his shortest of short stories how much could be said with minimal content: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Six brief words that conjure up a wealth of imagery in the reader’s mind.

Finally, when you’ve said what you want to say, stop! .

As part of our Moving and Handling courses we have included some simple strength exercises which can easily be done at home and require minimal equipment. These exercises will help improve the strength of your muscles and when coupled with safe lifting techniques will make the physical side of moving and handling tasks easier. Department of Health Guidelines state that adults need to do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity each week in order to stay healthy. That means getting your heart rate up, and maybe working up a light sweat, for two and a half hours a week. (Change for life campaign, 2012). This can be broken down into smaller sessions over the course of the week of no less than 10minutes at a time. Although, additional benefits can be gained through regular participation in activity that is more vigorous and is of longer duration. Ideally, exercise should comprise of both cardio vascular exercise, such as brisk walking / jogging, cycling or swimming and strength training, such as press ups and squats to improve the strength of the muscle being worked, this is what we are concentrating on. Specific benefits linked to strength training include:

• Increase functional ability and functional strength
• Improve posture, therefore balance and co-ordination
• Reduced back pain and stress on the back
• Increase bone density
• Health benefits – including lower blood pressure, weight loss
• Not all benefits are physical, other benefits can be psychological and social, for example reduced stress

Theexercises presented on our website are simple strength exercises. Initially look to complete each exercise 10 times and increase the number of repetitions (number of times you perform each exercise) and sets (number of times you complete the entire program) as you become stronger.

Before commencing any new exercise regime you should consult with your GP or health and fitness professional. If you have any questions on the technique or form of these exercises please do not hesitate to contact Norvic and ask for Paul.

The recently released Montague report on housing thankfully opens up discussion of some of the issues of housing in the UK and may help us start to address issues such as, supply and demand, quality of housing, meeting sustainability through economy of scale, creating flexible living arrangements to suit contemporary lifestyles, whilst providing longer term tenancies and security for those that require it. Essentially it requires responding more closely to the needs of users.

This comes at an appropriate time, when the planning system is recognising the importance of community, with a move towards a bottom up approach in the planning system, an active encouragement of community involvement and favourability towards development – where it is sustainable.

The suggestion that the government should assist in releasing public land and encourage local planning authorities to recognise the role of private renting is a welcome one. Furthermore, the call for local planning authorities to distinguish between the demand for rented accommodation and home ownership in the planning system is of key importance. This is due to the implications on land value calculation created by the current presumption that land for homes would be owner-occupied if not specifically earmarked for affordable housing, which of course in turn impacts the cost of development.

If to be successful, an investment in private rental development requires not only confidence from investors, private developers and local authority support, but a cultural shift in our attitudes towards how we live. Perhaps it is a particularly attractive idea to young professionals and families with contemporary ideals of living in high density urban environments, allowing the integration of life and work more closely and reducing the need to travel. The report recognises the importance of establishing street level activity quickly in new developments and the significance of community, including some of civic facilities required to build a community. But we must pay close attention to the dynamics of communities and their requirements; we must recognise the role of high quality public realm and shared space in addition to the quality of living accommodation itself to making these potential developments successful in their long-term use.

Considering that rental communities may only be successful if there is some level of permanency there is need for some mixed use within these potential developments and diversity of properties and tenure. In addition, from an urbanism point of view, we must embrace the idea of place making, the importance of shared space, green infrastructure and the need for a community to contribute to and occupy their surroundings – in order to foster a shared responsibility for them.

90% of people raised in the UK are immune to the chickenpox virus (Varicella),as they had it when they were young. When it is resolved, some virus remains latent in nerve pathways; it can reactivate in a single pathway and cause symptoms known as Shingles, (Herpes Zoster). Transmission to others at this stage is unlikely.

The frequency and effect on people increases with age, particularly in people who are stressed, run down or following a traumatic event according to the Shingles Support Society. The symptoms usually start with pain, whichmay be severe andburning, itching or tingling sensations. Usually skin blistering will occur. It may be successfully treated, if caught within 72 hours according to the Society, suppressing the virus only.

Complications include Post Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN) which is chronic pain still present a month or so after the skin has healed. Severity varies, but can be debilitating and excruciatingand have a considerable impact on quality of life. This may be especially so in those of working age. If the area of the eye is affected then immediate referral to the emergency services is required.

A vaccine (“Zostavax”) is now available for those aged 50 years or over. One injection, just under the skin is all that is required. At present it is not available yeton the NHS and indications that it may be next year, but only for those in the age range of 70 years to 79 years. For those aged over50 years of age it is available, in limited quantities from private clinics.

“The availability of the vaccine offers the hope of reducing morbidity caused by herpes zoster and the impact of the disease on patients lives.”( Dr J. Langdon, “Vaccination”, 20:2012)

In this new age of ‘instant information’ is it short sighted to block social networking sites within an organisation purely because of stories in the press relating to scams, misuse and threats?

There’s an increasing trend to use social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter as a business-enabling tool rather than solely as a personal communication aid for families and friends; Facebook now even allows you to ‘advertise’ easily. Should businesses embrace this new culture, or stick to the old-world view of ‘If it has been reported as bad, it must be’?

Is there anyway an organisation can stop staff accessing such sites in the context of the increase in consumer products which allow instant access anytime? Just look around your organisation to see how many people are carrying both corporate and personal devices…

Here’s a quick quiz; see how you do.

1. Do you prevent your staff from accessing social networking sites on corporate devices?
2. Do you prevent staff from attaching their own devices to corporate machines?
3. Do you monitor when these personal devices are used to access social networking sites?
4. Do you have control over your organisation’s social networking ‘footprint’?

If the answer to 1 is YES but the answer to 2 or 3 is NO, then the answer to 4 is NO. Did you expect that?

Perhaps it’s time for a re-think?

With the increase in the number of organisations embracing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) this trend is only going to grow. So perhaps now is the time to look at educating users about the issues, and empowering them to use these tools responsibly, rather than trying to block access; after all, this may turn into a battle you can’t win.

So, how do you educate users about social networking sites and the issues around them?

1. Passwords Teach users about good password management including password strength (difficult to guess but easy to remember), password security (keep it to yourself) and using different passwords for different sites (a password is only as strong as the weakest system you use it on).

2. Scams, click-jacking and fake apps Teach users how to spot something that is attempting to harvest data and steal identities. If people are aware of what can happen they may be less inclined to click anything- and-everything in the hope of a free gift.

3. Sensible sharing Social networking sites can be restricted to allow only a limited number of people to access data and information. If you have a target audience, do you need to tell ‘everyone’ or only those you wish to educate? Teaching people how to amend these settings to protect themselves will help you protect any corporate data you wish to place on there.

4. Monitoring (for employees) Social networks send emails relating to access, posts and mentions. Monitoring these will highlight any potential misuse which can be stopped before it gets too severe.

5. Monitoring (for employers) Regular checks of internet usage will show any misuse of social networking sites. All employees should be aware you are monitoring internet access and that misuse will be investigated. This should act as a deterrent for anyone who wishes to misuse the privilege and use corporate resources to ‘check their cityville or click that link for a free iPad’…

If all these steps are in place and your users are using social networking to enhance your corporate image and expand your client base, could there be a justification to lower the defences and allow social network access for employees?

The internet world is changing and social networking is becoming a more mainstream tool for business operations; without secure enablement there is a risk you could be left behind…

Social networking in the corporate environment is no longer about ‘no’, it’s about ‘yes, BUT’.

Protect your ideas All successful businesses start with an idea and successful businesses will keep generating new ideas. Good ideas combined with judgement, initiative and most importantly perseverance are what makes a business thrive.

No business would want to give its good ideas away for free for others to use especially due to the money, time and effort that has gone into establishing a market for those ideas, products or services. Ideas are intellectual property (IPI) which means that they are property in the same way as physical, tangible assets and can be owned by an individual or by a company.

However, this ownership does need to be defined and in most cases registered so that others know what it is they cannot do without infringing your rights. Intellectual property covers a wide range of business assets, including patents, trade marks, design rights and copyright.

Samsung and Apple’s patent clash heads for trial by jury today (30 July 2012) The tech firms have accused each other of intellectual property infringement. Billions of dollars of payments could be triggered from one business to the other and sales bans imposed if the jury finds one or both parties guilty. Together the two companies account for more than half of all the world’s smartphone sales.

Despite the fact that Apple buys many of its components from Samsung, the two have failed to agree cross-licensing deals even after the courts forced their bosses to meet for talks. Whatever the outcome the lawsuits are likely to continue with other patent disputes in the pipeline. It just shows that all sizes of companies need to take the protection of new ideas very seriously.

Within the Chamber network we have a number of experts in this area and I would encourage to visit https://www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/directory to get help and advise in this area and protect your ideas.

I have recently developed some Train the Trainer training sessions – here I share my Top Twenty Training Tips

1. Set up the room well with respect to lighting, warmth & ventilation; the size of room should reflect the number of delegates – not too large and not too snug!
2. Have refreshments available as a minimum water but include fruit/ biscuits/ sweets as appropriate
3. Think about Health & Safety- how/ where people are sitting/ comfort issues/ slips & trips / where the toilet facilities are and also smoking facilities
4. Maintain good eye contact with your delegates – a welcoming (non cheesey) smile will put people at ease!
5. Have positive body language, not just a smile!
6. Have a positive tone of voice – try not to be monotone, keep it varied in pitch and speed
7. Use positive words- be enthusiastic
8. Look & feel the part- be comfortable and dress appropriately for the topic and the learner group
9. Avoid jargon- use simple words/ pictures
10. Keep sessions short & snappy- remember all the learning styles & attention spans
11. Have a clear plan of what you are going to cover in that session; failing to plan is unforgiveable
12. Be prepared for the questions they will ask. However if you do not know the answer – say you will find out & remember to do so
13. Keep to time & ask delegates to keep to time at breaks too
14. Do not make assumptions about what people know already! Maybe you can cover this in the ice – breaker
15. Had some humour! But not inappropriate jokes
16. Do a quick introduction to the (or each) session- what you will cover/ what you expect from them; A course contract at the beginning of the day or session is always beneficial
17. Include different activities- use the quizzes/ questions/ discussions/ scenarios/ DVD/ doing activities – remember people learn in different ways
18. Allow time for questions / discussions
19. Make sure everyone understands what you have covered- ask questions or use a quiz; Simple feedback using post it notes always works well
20. Enjoy it – or at least pretend you are enjoying it

To encourage businesses to make the investment in monitoring technology and energy saving, Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs) are available meaning that 100% of the qualifying capital expenditure may be claimed back against taxable profits in the first year.

There are three schemes for ECA’s which are energy saving plant and machinery, water conservation plant and machinery, and low carbon dioxide emission cars and natural gas and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. Focussing on water conservation, did you know if you fit efficient showers, taps, toilets, washing machines, detection and monitoring equipment and the product is suitable you can use the ECA Scheme.

Taking it further, installing rainwater harvesting equipment, smaller scale sludge dewatering equipment, water efficient industrial cleaning equipment amongst many others, you can again use the scheme.

The general rate of capital allowances is 18% a year on a reducing balance basis up to a limit of £25k. Some technologies supported by the ECA Scheme (e.g. boilers, lighting) are included in a special capital allowances pool where the general rate of capital allowances is 8%. Additional benefits of purchasing ECA qualifying energy efficient technologies could include: improved cash flow, lower energy bills, reduction in Climate Change Levy or CRC payment.

We will look into all of these options as part of any project we work on and to the Clients needs and specifications.

Provisional Met Office figures show that 2012 has seen the UK’s wettest April and June, since records began in 1910. Over a months worth of rain fell in the North West and North East within 24 hours, after flood warnings were issued to more than 7,000 homes and businesses.

Although some of the UK remained unaffected, flash flooding and unpredictable weather conditions are becoming more and more common, leading the more proactive businesses to ask the question:

Would my business be prepared in the event of a disaster?

A disaster or crisis can strike a business at any time and failing to plan for such an event can undo years of good work and hard trading in an instant. This can be the difference between your business recovering or failing; a return to full normal trading can often take a business more than a year. According to a report undertaken by AXA in 2007, 80% of businesses affected by a major incident either never re-open or close within 18 months. Imagine for example you had a fire which resulted in your premises closing for a re-build. Such a disaster could result in obtaining planning permission/building warrants, allocating building contractors, allowing for delays on the build caused by holidays, poor weather conditions and availability of materials required.

Assess the threats

Think of the threats in terms of the operations which are key to your business, such as:

• Fire, flood or storm damage to your premises or stock
• Explosion
• Loss of power or other services
• Threat of vital equipment or stock
• Unavailability or loss of key personnel
• Staff sickness levels (Swine Flu Pandemic)
• Loss of customer or other records
• Theft of delivery vehicles

Make a plan

Once you have assessed the threats, consider any potential actions you can take to reduce the risk of these occurring, or even prevent them altogether. Are there steps you could take to reduce the scale of loss, or speed up your return to normality?

We recommend all businesses are supported by some form of Continuity Plan, regardless of their size

Think about things such as:

• Organise suitable alternative premises
• Keep an updated list of staff contact details off site
• Arrange for an off-site storage solution for backed up files
• Making sure fire extinguishers are regularly inspected, maintained and appropriately located
• Train staff in emergency procedures including the use of fire extinguishers
• Invest in a fire resistant safe for important paper records
• Carry out back up procedures for important computer records
• Fit fire alarms, burglar alarms, CCTV and any other relevant security systems
• Ensure germ killing hand foam is available for staff and visitors

Peter Fosterof Hugh JBoswell states; “we recommend all businesses are supported by some form of Continuity Plan, regardless of their size. Many businesses underestimate the sheer quantity of time and effort required to get their business back up and running following a substantial loss. By being prepared, you can reduce the time required to return your business to pre-loss trading levels, and help minimise the impact on your business.”

Health and Safety often gets blamed by people for stopping things happening; people can receive bad advice from their Employer, their Insurance Company or indeed from a Health and Safety Consultant. They can also use Health and Safety as an excuse for not doing something or for people who can’t be bothered or have a ‘killjoy’ attitude.

The Health and Safety Executive have responded to concerns by setting up a Myth Buster panel; this is chaired by Judith Hackett- a formidable character – she has 11 co panellists who are drawn from all walks of life.

So far this year they have commented on 47 cases; the first about a swing on an allotment that a Parish Council wanted removing; the swing was provided for use by the hirer’s children to keep them occupied. The latest that a landlord of a block of flats was asked to replace metal framed windows; that fitted & opened safely.

There is a form on the HSE’s website for anyone to report any ‘Health and Safety gone mad’ occurrences.

Health and Safety as I have said is all about Common Sense; but Common Sense is not always that common- it is about awareness, knowledge, attitude & perception.

Health and Safety is about protecting people with sensible controls; not about blanketly saying people cannot do things

I have chosen some ‘favourite’ myths to highlight that Health and Safety has not gone mad – but some peoples interpretation of it has:

1. Bonkers Conkers- in reality the risk of playing conkers is low; a head teacher did ask for children to wear goggles; but there is no blanket need; in schools it is often discipline that’s the issue not H&S.
2. Bunting (well we have had the Jubilee & now the Olympics)- The myth is that Bunting is not allowed due to H&S – this is just plan nonsense; H&S is about protecting people not about stopping celebrations! People need to plan – where to hang bunting and how to get it up their safely- again not a blanket ban.
3. Restaurant based myths; yes you can issue tooth picks, yes you can heat up baby foods & no dogs in restaurants is not a Health and Safety Issue.
4. Topical one of Mortar Boards- like conkers there is a v v small risk of injury from a flying Mortar Board- the issue can be that the hats are hired and need to be returned in pristine condition?
5. Trapeze artists need to wear Hard Hats! Hard hats are only required when there is a risk of falling debris.
6. PAT testing of electrical items is an yearly requirement; this is simply not true; the Electricity at Work Regulations require businesses to maintain their electrical appliances- this needs to be risk based; some items can be visual checked (low risk static office equipment) others such as portable hand tools that are used in dusty/wet environments will need more frequent thorough checks.
7. Lastly there is nothing you can do about Slips & trips- there’s lots of cheap effective solutions – there were 4 fatalities last year, and about 100, 000 injuries – the estimated cost to UK PLC is £800 million per year; Good Housekeeping, cable management, correct well maintained clean flooring, foot wear and staff attitude will all reduce the risk

Health and Safety is siimply about protecting people; unfortunately 173 people were killed at work last year- this fiqure does not include those who are killed whilst driving on our roads; or ask the 300 000 plus people who are injured at work

It is about sensible Risk Management – about putting in place some proportionate controls.

We all need to accept personal responsibility- whether we are an Employer, an Employee or a member of the public

Social media networks provide an opportunity to reach and interact with customers in new and, often, more effective ways. But these opportunities are not without risks. Tom Farrand, head of Novagraaf UK’s trademark practice, outlines best practice approaches in brand protection and management online.

It’s not a surprise to hear from corporate brand owners that a major proportion of their advertising and PR spend and effort is now concentrated on social networking sites. But, while marketing departments and practice have been quick to adapt to the opportunities offered by the media, the same cannot always be said for the legal sector. Legislation and case law have been much slower to evolve; often leaving brand owners in a vulnerable position when it comes to monitoring and enforcing legal ownership of their brands online.

As legal issues concerning social media have come to the fore, brand owners are now beginning to ask what their legal response should be – and how much of their own spend and effort should be targeted in that area.

Why is it a concern? Just as the web has enabled brands to reach consumers and new markets, so too has it provided third parties with the means and opportunity to capitalise on another brand’s hard-earned reputation; for example, by passing themselves off as the official brand owner, or by promoting infringing orcounterfeitproducts on social media sites.

In the traditional offline environment, brand owners knew their legal weapons and how to deploy them. However, in the online space, acting against such infringement requires different skills, tools and approaches. Here, a new arsenal of tools is needed; for example, online monitoring programmes (such asTMwebscanthat can identify and monitor unauthorised use or misuse of a trade name or trademark on websites, social media networks and online messaging boards).

Similarly, brand owners have to re-evaluate their approaches toinfringementactions once unauthorised use or misuse of brands has been identified. Failure to enforce brand rights can lead to consumer confusion, loss of business and goodwill, or dilution/loss of a company’s trademark rights, so it’s critical to protect and enforce brand rights using trademark and other intellectual property (IP) laws.

However, in the social media age, you also need to be sensitive to how those enforcement actions may be perceived. Consumers have a different attitude to infringement andpiracy, and that requires a more measured approach than that which a company’s legal department may traditionally adopt.

In addition, brand owners need to reassess the way that they cost and target action: incidents of infringement are growing, but they’re also becoming more random, which makes them difficult to budget, forecast and act against. The online space is moving so fast that, invariably as soon as you close down one problem, another threat pops up elsewhere.

Where to start Like their colleagues in marketing, legal departments and their external advisers need to understand the manner in which social media networks and practice operates in order to develop a robust and proportional response to infringement.

Based on that knowledge, they can assess what’s most important to their business and use that to develop a risk-based strategy to prioritise how and when to act. Common threats to be considered include: a third party seeking to register or use your company or brand name, the sale or promotion of counterfeit or pirate goods, typosquatting, ‘sucks’ or look-a-like sites, and attempts to damage brands within online messaging boards (for instance, by promoting brand boycotts).

Once prioritised, each incident should be assessed using a pre-defined ‘risk-assessment’ criteria to avoid knee-jerk reactions. For example:

– Investigate: do you have a legitimate claim? What is the impact on your business? Can you reach the party that you need to pursue? What are their defences? – Consider your course of action: Review the legislation, legal procedures and tools at your disposal. What’s the most cost-effective course of action? Does the social network provide any tools that could help (e.g. takedown procedures) and, if so, will they provide you with a simpler or more effective method of taking action? – Act proportionally: Make clear choices as to what you’re taking action against and what you can simply monitor in the short term. – Consider the negatives and learn lessons from what has gone before: There are plenty of high-profile examples of companies taking a legitimate course of legal action only to suffer major backlashes due to customer perception. Think about the potential costs of those repercussions before acting. – Weigh up the arguments: Are the advantages stronger than the disadvantages – and, are you willing to take the heat? – Choose your battles wisely: even though you have valid IP ownership rights, litigation is not always the best course of action. But, on the other hand, not taking action against a persistent threat can create major damage to your brand or bottom line.

Preparation is key Fortunately, there are a number of steps that brand owners can take in advance to support their efforts and mitigate risk. Proactive and precautionary measures, such as: registering trademarks, trade names and company names in key territories; developing a (positive) presence in social networking communities; instituting anonline monitoring programmeand developing a consistent enforcement strategy.

It’s crucial to develop your strategy in advance, review and evolve it, and be clear and uniform in your actions. You need to be a lawyer as well as a reputation manager, and to dedicate a proportion of your budget and efforts to legal issues, as this is one fad that will not blow over any time soon.

More than two in five people do not believe the NHS will be “there for them” in ten years’ time, while just a third think the health service will exist in 20 years.

Results of a survey of over 2,000 people, point to a major lack of confidence in the ability of the NHS to provide good quality healthcare in the future.

The survey, carried out for Benenden Healthcare Society, shows that half of those questioned also believe that present Government’s policies will weaken the NHS over the next couple of years. Only one in ten (11%) believe the recent government reforms will strengthen the positioning of the NHS in the future.

The survey results mirror some of the findings from another piece of research published in recent days. That study, for the Institute for Fiscal Studies, suggested that tough decisions will have to be made about what services should be free at the point of use in the years to come. Those concerns were echoed last week at the annual conference of the Association of Medical Insurance Intermediaries.

The research results show that while 89% of people believe that the NHS would be there to provide good quality healthcare in the case of an acute emergency such as a road accident or a heart attack, public confidence falls for longer-term chronic conditions, including those associated with an ageing society. Around a half (48%) of those polled believed that the NHS would provide good quality healthcare services in the case of a chronic condition such as a stress or back pain.

Ken Hesketh, chief executive of Benenden Healthcare Society, said that while people still feel confident in the service provision the NHS offers today, the research findings show that the public have “genuine concerns” over the future of the NHS and its ability to provide for them in the years ahead.

He added: “The public are clearly concerned about what lies further down the road when it comes to healthcare reassurance. What these findings ultimately show is that there is a real need for further consideration and debate around the future of healthcare provision and how improvements in standards can be financed going forward.”

However, respondents believe that only 13% of healthcare spending should be spent on private healthcare. In 10 years’ time, though, this would likely increase to 30%, respondents said.