A CAMPAIGN by the region’s NHS has won a national award for its success after saving the health service more than £1m.

The Keep Calm and Look After Yourself campaign, which initially ran for six weeks last winter, saved the North-East and Cumbrian NHS £1.4m by persuading 24,000 people to find an alternative to going to an accident and emergency department for treatment.

The campaign won healthcare campaign of the year at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Pride Awards.

The campaign, which was developed by the region’s Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) with support from North of England Commissioning Support (NECS), helped to reduce pressure on NHS services during the winter months.

The judging panel praised the Keep calm campaign, saying: “The judges had a very easy decision in awarding this entry with Gold – the results of the engaged population and savings on inappropriate use of the NHS speak for themselves.”

The campaign focused on illnesses that can be treated at home.

Its success has led to a revival of the campaign this winter, with marketing and media work as well as the website keepcalmthiswinter.org.uk.

Stephen Childs, managing director of North of England Commissioning Support (NECS), said: "it’s fantastic to see our high-impact campaigns being recognised by our peers in the PR industry.

“For every £1 invested in the campaign last winter, over £16 was saved on inappropriate NHS use, which really shows the difference a high-quality campaign can make.”