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Lydia Martin is a health care associate director at APCO and is based in London. A media specialist, Ms. Martin secured national media coverage for a PRCA Public Affairs Award-winning campaign to promote patient safety. She provides valued strategic counsel and has helped clients to build their reputation in areas including medical nutrition, cell and gene therapy, sexual health and diagnostics.
Ms. Martin has a background in pharmaceutical PR and over eight years experience in Government communications. She pioneered Government communications strategies, briefed Health Secretaries for high-profile broadcast interviews such as the Act F.A.S.T launch and trained a press team at No 10. An expert in issues and crises, she managed the Government’s reputation during the swine flu pandemic and led its communications response to the horse meat scandal and an MRSA outbreak on a farm.
While working at the Department of Health, Ms. Martin worked closely with National Clinical Directors, including launching the Cancer Drugs Fund with Sir Mike Richards. As Press Secretary to the Chief Dental Officer, she broke years of negative media coverage of access to NHS dentists by generating positive coverage that included The Telegraph front page.
Ms. Martin’s approach to communications is typically collaborative. This has included securing third party endorsement, targeting audiences through stakeholder channels, leading disparate teams in a crisis response, bringing opposing parties into agreement, and forging new partnerships to achieve shared aims.