Calco Publications

About

Established 1988

Calco Publications was established in 1988 by Mitchell Brent, with the aim of specialising in the design, production and free supply of sponsored patient literature to NHS hospitals throughout the United Kingdom. Calco Publications soon became the first company to introduce full colour sponsored patient literature and has since developed an extensive range of innovative products, designed not only to save valuable NHS funds and improve the presentation of patient information, but to also reduce staff administration time.

Foundation

The foundation of the company is its extensive and ever growing range of sponsored publications, which are currently issued through approximately 300 NHS hospitals across the UK, making Calco Publications the largest supplier of its kind in the UK today. Calco Publications has always managed its own ‘in-house’ Marketing Department, enabling constant monitoring and control of the potential sponsors approached, thereby ensuring that every sponsor is not only relevant to the publication concerned but also provides a service of genuine value to the members of the public who receive the publications.

Market Leaders

Over the last few years, Calco Publications has been instrumental in the execution of several NHS initiatives, such as the introduction of a standard font and improved presentation of patient information in accordance with NHSE guidelines, and more recently has assisted in the introduction of spaces on appointment cards for the completion of NHS numbers, in accordance with NHS Connecting for Health. With the experience gained addressing and resolving patient communications problems at NHS Trusts throughout the UK for more than two decades, Calco Publications is frequently approached and requested to develop products which can assist. Their view is that any problem experienced by one NHS Trust, may have already been addressed and resolved by a Calco Publications product developed for another NHS Trust. Therefore solutions are not only often readily available but are invariably free of charge to NHS Trusts. Despite the high productivity, the increasingly wide range of products offered and its success as a market leader, Calco Publications continues to maintain an individual and refreshingly positive approach to each and every situation, in the firm belief that placing a powerful and bold message directly into the hands of the public, is often by far the most effective way to resolve any patient communications problem, such as DNA’s

Future

For many years it has been believed that the now commonplace use of electronic appointment systems throughout the NHS would negate the need for printed appointment cards. However, this has not proved to be the case and an increasing number of NHS Trusts now appreciate that the issue of a tangible appointment card is by far the best way to support their electronic systems and reduce their DNA problems, particularly in relation to the elderly, infirm and disabled. As a result, the future of appointment cards and printed patient literature in general appears bright and Calco Publications is busier than it ever has been in the past.