News

Monday
Just back from maternity leave and everyone tells me I've picked a bad time to return. Our joint review report is out this week and I'm preparing for the media's worst. The press release is approved and ready to go. Local papers are already claiming the report is damning.

Tuesday
Handle a variety of queries about delayed discharges, a young people's pantomime, a partner agency in great difficulty and the success of our customer services officers.

Wednesday
A television company calls first thing asking to film at a council establishment tomorrow. Eventually they persuade me it won't be too intrusive. A local paper reporter phones about the joint review report. He's got it mixed up with another one and I set him straight. I barely have time to breathe before the local radio phones to request a joint review interviewee for tomorrow's breakfast show. The report is embargoed so I promise them someone for the drive-time slot instead. Take a call from the BBC. They also want to film at a council establishment and in the cabinet meeting. I e-mail the cabinet asking if they object to being filmed, stressing that their discussions won't be recorded. Hope I can hold the BBC to this tomorrow. Finding a suitable establishment for filming is easier said than done. I try a learning difficulties centre in a rural area. The first TV people don't want the extra travelling. I get permission from the mental health manager to try a day centre but they've already closed by the time I call. A local paper has got hold of an embargoed copy of the joint review report and shared it with the other paper. We intended to send our press release out to coincide with the cabinet meeting but this seems rather pointless now. Instead I send an embargoed copy of the report to all the local media, local government publications and Community Care.

Thursday
I arrange a mental health day centre visit for the BBC crew. Our cabinet spokesperson does a radio interview and then the cabinet meeting starts. The report is presented objectively but the negatives stand out. Every time I wince, I look at the press benches and see them all scribbling away enthusiastically. The BBC arrives to film at the day centre rather late and the other TV crew don't make it at all. Typical. The chief executive, director and cabinet members all give a media briefing. People from the TV are reasonable but the papers are desperate for us to say we're going to take services away from people. I arrange for our spokesperson to do her drive-time interview, take another TV crew to film one of our offices and go back to my own to collapse. Pick up the local paper and see we are a "disgrace"!

Friday
We're still on the front pages. It is quiet and I deal with nothing more complicated than an adoption press release. I'm exhausted but glad I came back when I did.