The appointment is part of NHS Connecting for Health’s commitment to help patients and the public understand how electronic health records will affect them, how their confidentiality and privacy will be safeguarded, and their options to put further limits on who can access their health information.

Local public information programmes using a range of approaches will inform people before the NHS Care Records Service goes "live" in their area. Going live means that essential clinical information from a patient’s health records can be shared by authorised healthcare professionals across NHS organisations like GP surgeries and hospitals. A major part of Porter Novelli's activities will also be to work with the NHS to ensure staff have the information and knowledge they need to discuss the issues with patients.

The campaigns will be coordinated from Leeds, where NHS Connecting for Health is based, but will consist mainly of local activities over the next two years as the NHS Care Records Service is introduced.

NHS Connecting for Health’s Director of Communications, James Herbert said: "Porter Novelli bring wide experience of this kind of public sector brief and we are looking forward to having their support on this work which is central to the success of the National programme for IT. They will work closely with specialists in reaching communities with a variety of needs to ensure we do not exclude anyone."

Porter Novelli's managing director, Fiona Joyce said:

"We are delighted to have won this contract with the NHS NPfIT care record service and we are looking forward to supporting its communications team in Leeds. We're particularly pleased to be involved as it's a public information programme that will help deliver better healthcare for the public. It is critical that people understand the potential of the electronic health record and their rights with regard to it. The programme will embrace a range of communication techniques, focusing on internal as well as external audiences."