The agency has recruited Ruth Oliver-Williams, who has been running her consultancy, Evidence-Based Solutions, for two years. That firm will now be absorbed into Red Door.
Olivear-Williams takes the title of head of NHS Consulting.
The agency’s three-strong NHS Consulting division focuses on practice-based commissioning, new product and service introduction and issues arising from funding and service reconfiguration.
It is the smallest of four divisions at Red Door; the others are UK Ethical Healthcare, International Healthcare and Consumer Healthcare.
Oliver-Williams has more than 19 years of healthcare experience in the UK and Australia. She has worked as head of nursing in the NHS and has also been responsible for NHS service redevelopment, organisational change, professional guidance and supervision. She has been brought on board after five months as a strategic consultant for the agency.
‘PR isn’t enough now in the healthcare sector. You need to have an in-depth knowledge of the workings of the NHS,’ said Red Door MD Catherine Warne.
Oliver-Williams’ appointment follows the arrival last month of Phil Sheldon, who was previously MD at Resolute, as director of international healthcare (PRWeek, 7 September).
Red Door Communications ranked fourth in this year’s PRWeek top 25 Healthcare agencies. It also ranked 54 out of this year’s PRWeek top 150 agencies. The London-based agency posted a turnover of £5,356,000 in 2006. The seven-year-old agency currently has 45 full time staff.
