Public health PR - Lincolnshire campaign puts health on BBC news agenda

The brief 

Community healthcare provider Connect Health (now Cora Health) approached The Tonic Communications with a bold ambition: to launch and raise national awareness of its pioneering public health initiative, Flippin’ Pain. 

The campaign’s mission? To flip the conversation around chronic pain – changing how people think about it, talk about it, and treat it. With 30–50% of the UK population affected, chronic pain remains one of the most misunderstood and under-reported health challenges, impacting mental health, work, and quality of life. 

This campaign needed to educate, engage, and spark public and professional debate. And it had to do that not in the capital, but In the heart of communities across Lincolnshire. 

The response 

The Tonic ensured the key messages surrounding chronic pain gained the media exposure they deserved— building anticipation, driving public attendance, and landing results that extended well beyond the tour route. 

Campaign tactics included: 

• Crafting compelling, human interest case studies to communicate the reality of living with chronic pain 

• Raising the profile of international pain experts and clinicians to share the latest scientific learnings on treatments 

• Proactive media outreach to key regional, national and health press 

• Press office support on the ground across Lincolnshire including at locations in Lincoln city, Stamford, Skegness, Mablethorpe and Grantham 

• BBC engagement — building early relationships with reporters and facilitating direct access to spokespeople and tour events 

This media-first approach ensured the campaign didn’t just connect with communities in Lincolnshire — it sparked a wider national conversation on chronic pain. 

The results 

Feature-length coverage was secured across regional online, print and broadcast media – including BBC Radio Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire World, Grantham Matters, and the Spalding Guardian – delivering a combined reach of over 191 million. 

A powerful case study exploring one participant’s dependence on prescription painkillers struck a national chord, leading to a standout feature in the Daily Express and a syndicated BBC News Wales article, which was picked up across BBC regional online and TV outlets. 

Crucially, media interest around the Lincolnshire tour attracted the attention of the BBC health team, who embedded a reporter within the roadshow. They filmed interviews with spokespeople, clinicians and visitors, capturing the campaign in action. 

This led to the BBC commissioning its own editorial deep dive into chronic pain, using Flippin’ Pain data and spokespeople throughout. The result was a one-day BBC media takeover, including: 

• Segments on BBC Breakfast, and the 1pm, 6pm, and 10pm national news 

• A dedicated iPlayer documentary, a long-read editorial, and a BBC Sounds ‘5 Minutes On’ episode 

• Interviews on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio Newcastle 

 

In the client’s words… 

“The Tonic always has their eye on the ball, finding opportunities to not only promote our work, but make a greater impact on a national level. Their focus on human-centered stories has not only helped raise our profile but kept our person-centered values at the core of this work. We’re grateful for the time and attention to detail the Tonic provide every time we work together.”  

– Sam Fielding, Flippin’ Pain