Occupations and Terms of Reference › Public relations officer
Universal terms of reference · POS-021 · version 1.0 · status: draft · next review 2027-10-27
Public relations officer
To build and maintain relationships with the public, partners and the media, so that the organisation's work is understood and trusted.
Each part of this page links to the related trainings, competencies and policies. The links are the same for every facility, so an organisation can see at a glance what a role requires and what it is trained in.
Job description
Job summary. You manage the organisation's public relations. You write press materials, arrange media contact, run events and campaigns, and build partnerships that help the public use services safely.
Reports to: Corporate communications manager.
Leads or supervises: No direct reports.
What you do on a typical day
- Write press releases and public articles.
- Maintain media lists and relationships.
- Organise events and campaigns.
- Monitor coverage and public feedback.
- Support spokespeople before interviews.
Working conditions and demands
- Works to tight media deadlines.
- Must check facts and protect privacy.
- Public profile involves personal and reputational risk.
What good looks like
- Press materials are accurate and on time.
- Events run smoothly and are evaluated.
- Public feedback is answered.
Place in the organogram
Reporting line, from the top: see the organogram on the Occupations page. The lines above and below this role are listed in section 3.
1. Golden rules
These rules apply in every setting.
- Every decision that affects patient safety is made on evidence and recorded.
- Patient safety and quality come before financial targets; no trade-off that puts patients at risk is accepted.
- Every staff member can raise a concern without fear of reprisal, and every concern is answered.
- Legal, licensing and accreditation duties are known, owned and reviewed.
- Finances, people and information are managed openly and within the law.
- Mandatory training and policies apply to the executive as much as to frontline staff.
2. Identification
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position code | POS-021 |
| ISCO-08 | 2432 (skill level 4) |
| ESCO | to map |
| Department | Support |
| Facility types | Hospital, Ambulatory, Transport, Medevac, Fitness, Aesthetic |
3. Reporting line and working relationships
Reports to: POS-020. Supervises: .
| Works with | Nature of the relationship |
|---|---|
| Corporate communications manager | Shared messages and calendar. |
| Chief executive officer | Public statements and events. |
| Patient advocate | Public feedback and stories. |
4. Key accountabilities
| Domain | Accountability | Evidence of delivery | Checked | Linked competencies | Linked trainings | Linked policies | Standards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Press materials | Writes accurate, timely press materials. | Releases approved before issue | Monthly | C-01 | T-08 | – | 2 |
| Media relations | Maintains media relationships and answers enquiries in agreed time. | Media log kept | Monthly | C-02 | T-08 | – | 2 |
| Events and campaigns | Plans and runs events and campaigns. | Events evaluated after each event | Quarterly | C-03 | T-08 | – | 2 |
| Public feedback | Monitors coverage and public feedback and passes concerns on. | Feedback log reviewed weekly | Monthly | C-02 | T-08 | POL-WHISTLE | 2 |
5. Decision rights
| The post holder decides | Consults or escalates |
|---|---|
| Content of routine press materials within approved messages | Statements on serious matters (corporate communications manager) |
| Choice of photographs and materials for routine public use | Negative media coverage that needs a response (corporate communications manager) |
6. Qualifications and experience
| ID | Qualification | Mandatory | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q-01 | Degree in communications, journalism or public relations | Yes | Lifetime |
| Q-02 | Public relations or media training | No | Lifetime |
| ID | Experience | Minimum years | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-01 | Public relations, media or events experience | 3 | Yes |
7. Training requirements
Recommended common practice. Each facility adapts the list to its national law. Essential items apply in every setting; recommended items apply where resources allow.
| ID | Training | Tier | When | Validity | Linked policies | Linked competencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-01 | Facility induction | essential | at_entry | Once | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL · POL-DATA | – |
| T-02 | Safeguarding adults | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-03 | Safeguarding children | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-04 | Data protection and confidentiality | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-DATA | – |
| T-05 | Incident reporting and open disclosure | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-INC | – |
| T-06 | Governance, accountability and assurance | recommended | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | – | – |
| T-07 | Emergency and major incident command | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-INC | – |
| T-08 | Speaking up, inclusion and equality leadership | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL | C-01 · C-02 · C-03 |
8. Health, fitness and language
| ID | Requirement | Frequency | Tier | Minimum in low-resource settings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-03 | Fitness-to-work assessment at entry and after serious illness or injury | Every 12 months | recommended | Fitness check at entry |
| Language | Level | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| Official language of the country of practice | professional | Yes |
| English | working | Yes |
9. Competencies by level
| ID | Competency | Foundation | Practitioner | Expert | Assessed by | Revalidate | Linked trainings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-01 | Clear public writing and press materials | Writes clear copy | Writes press materials | Sets the organisation's public writing standards | Writing review | Every 12 months | T-08 |
| C-02 | Media and stakeholder relations | Keeps contact lists | Builds media relationships | Builds partnerships | Relations review | Every 12 months | T-08 |
| C-03 | Event and campaign delivery | Supports events | Runs events | Plans campaigns and evaluates them | Event review | Every 12 months | T-08 |
10. Performance evaluation
- Probation: 6 months, with a sign-off review (recommended value).
- Appraisal: every 12 months against the competencies and indicators below.
| ID | Indicator | Target | Data source | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PI-01 | Press releases issued on time | 100% | release log | Monthly |
| PI-02 | Media enquiries answered on time | 100% | enquiry log | Monthly |
| PI-03 | Events evaluated | 100% | event reports | Quarterly |
| PI-04 | Public feedback passed on within 2 days | 100% | feedback log | Monthly |
11. Career ladder and promotion
| Level | Role | Minimum experience to move on | Qualifications | Competency minimums | Trainings required | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive | Public relations officer | 3 years (recommended) | Q-01 | C-01 practitioner, C-02 practitioner | T-08 | Executive appointment and performance review |
12. Policies the post holder follows
Each policy is a standard template that the facility adopts and adapts. Templates are maintained centrally, so every facility works from the same version.
POL-SAFEG · Safeguarding adults and children
Purpose: Protect patients from abuse, neglect and harm, and make sure every concern is recognised and acted on.
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
- Recognise signs of abuse and neglect and record them factually.
- Report every concern to the designated safeguarding lead the same shift.
- Do not investigate alone.
- Share information only as the safeguarding procedure allows.
POL-DATA · Data protection and confidentiality
Purpose: Keep patient and staff information private, secure and used only for care and legal purposes.
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
- Access only the records needed for your work.
- Keep records secure; do not leave screens or paper unattended.
- Do not share information without a lawful basis.
- Report any breach to the data protection officer within 24 hours.
Linked trainings: T-10 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-WHISTLE · Speaking up (whistleblowing)
Purpose: Let staff raise patient safety or conduct concerns without fear of reprisal.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Raise a concern with your line manager or the named speaking-up officer.
- If that route fails, escalate to the board or the national regulator.
- Retaliation against anyone who speaks up is a disciplinary offence.
- Concerns are recorded, investigated and the outcome given to the person raising them.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-EQUAL · Equality, diversity and inclusion
Purpose: Give every patient and colleague fair access, respectful treatment and reasonable adjustments.
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
- Treat every person with dignity regardless of background.
- Make reasonable adjustments, including interpreters, for language and disability.
- Report discrimination through the speaking-up route.
- Monitor access and outcomes by group.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 24 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-INC · Incident reporting and open disclosure
Purpose: Report and learn from incidents and near misses, and tell patients honestly when things go wrong.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Report every incident and near miss the same shift.
- Give the patient and family an honest account and an apology where appropriate (open disclosure).
- Take immediate action to protect others.
- Learn: contribute to the review and follow the agreed actions.
13. Standards that name this role
14. Record history
| Date | Change | Approved by |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-27 | Draft record, batch 1 of the position build | Awaiting approval |