Storytelling in the NHS: How Narrative Builds Culture, Engagement & Connection
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In a healthcare system as complex, pressured, and human-centred as the NHS, effective internal communication must go beyond transactional updates and reactive messaging. At its best, internal communication becomes a cultural act—an enabler of connection, identity, and shared purpose. At the heart of this function lies storytelling.
Stories are how humans make sense of change, build empathy, and connect across diverse contexts. Within the NHS, where transformation is constant and work is inherently relational, storytelling can strengthen staff engagement, reinforce organisational values, and build the trust required for successful reform. Peer-reviewed research consistently shows that narrative-based communication significantly improves memory retention, emotional engagement, and behavioural alignment (Green, Brock & Kaufman, 2004; Zak, 2015).
Narrative communication can humanise policy. It can frame challenges as collective journeys, illustrate success through lived experience, and ensure that people feel not only informed but involved. As the NHS undergoes transformation across digital, workforce, and structural domains, internal storytelling becomes a strategic tool for sense-making, inclusion, and leadership.
Humans are neurologically wired to engage with stories. Unlike abstract directives or fragmented information, stories provide structure and meaning. Neuroscientific studies reveal that storytelling stimulates brain regions associated with memory, empathy, and decision-making (Zak, 2015). In internal communication, this engagement translates into stronger comprehension, emotional connection, and message retention.
Jerome Bruner (1990) argued that people are 22 times more likely to remember a fact when it is embedded in a story. In the NHS context, where complexity and rapid change can overwhelm even the most engaged workforce, this matters. Storytelling provides clarity and builds the psychological safety needed for change. It allows staff to locate themselves within the organisation’s evolution.
The Institute of Internal Communication (IoIC, 2025) frames storytelling as a trust-building behaviour. Through narrative, organisations show—not just tell—how values are lived, how decisions are made, and how individuals matter.
One of the NHS’s greatest strengths is the breadth of its experience base. From hospital wards and IT hubs to community clinics and procurement offices, stories are happening every day. Internal communicators must act as curators of these narratives—not simply content creators.
Stories that make change personal are among the most impactful. Consider Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust’s EPR implementation (2022). Rather than relying solely on technical updates, they invited staff to document “a week with our new system.” Nurses shared how the electronic prescribing feature reduced duplication and errors. These first-person stories were short, honest, and powerful—encouraging other staff to embrace the change and reducing fear around digital transitions.
Celebrating everyday heroism is equally vital. At Leeds Teaching Hospitals, the “Hidden Heroes” campaign brought visibility to support staff—cleaners, porters, and administrative assistants—through short narratives on posters and emails. One domestic assistant spoke about ensuring patient dignity through spotless environments. These stories were not grandiose but deeply resonant. They conveyed that every role matters and every person is valued.
Narratives that explain the “why” behind reform help reduce confusion and resistance. Mid and South Essex ICS used video storytelling to explain how shared care records would reduce the need for patients to repeat their history at every appointment. These stories, often told by clinicians and patients, provided tangible reasons for the change and showed how it would benefit both staff and the public.
Internal comms can also tell stories of progress—not just promise. NHS Lothian launched a “You said, we did” series responding directly to staff feedback. One story featured a junior doctor who had expressed concern about scheduling. The trust highlighted how her feedback led to rota reviews and better team coverage. Staff who see their input acted on are more likely to remain engaged.
Lastly, values-based storytelling reinforces culture. During Ramadan, Barts Health NHS Trust spotlighted how teams supported colleagues who were fasting. Stories were shared by Muslim and non-Muslim staff, showing adjustments made to accommodate breaks and patient handovers. These narratives weren’t simply about diversity—they were about community.
Each of these stories made values visible and meaningful. They didn’t describe culture—they demonstrated it.
This aligns with the broader case for storytelling explored in Trusted Delivery’s article on transforming NHS workplace communication, where internal comms act as both translator and amplifier of organisational goals.
“NewZapp has transformed our internal communications. Before, we were constantly facing issues with delivery and engagement. Now, not only are our open rates up, but staff engagement with surveys and nominations has skyrocketed. The support team has been fantastic, always there when we need them, making sure everything runs smoothly.”
— Laura Favell, Communications Manager, Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
To extend the reach and resonance of storytelling, NHS internal communication teams must not only share narratives but actively invest in creating conditions where staff feel empowered to speak. This involves building a feedback-rich culture in which lived experience, frontline insight, and operational learning are continuously surfaced, valued, and used.
Creating safe and inclusive storytelling environments requires consistent effort. Many staff are unaccustomed to framing their day-to-day experiences as stories worth sharing, and some may hesitate due to fear of judgement or tokenism. Internal communications teams must take on a facilitative role—coaching contributors, ensuring editorial sensitivity, and championing diversity of voice across job roles, seniority levels, and backgrounds.
One effective method for amplifying staff voice is the use of structured story clinics or storytelling workshops. These initiatives, piloted at trusts like Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, pair communications professionals with front-line teams to identify key themes, draft narratives, and rehearse delivery formats. The outcomes are not only stronger stories but a workforce that feels seen and respected.
Staff-led storytelling also supports leadership visibility. When managers and directors share their own reflections, especially on lessons learned, it creates a culture of openness and psychological safety. Embedding storytelling into team briefings, trust newsletters, and wellbeing bulletins fosters trust, transparency, and peer-to-peer connection.
Crucially, digital platforms like Trusted Delivery enable scalable storytelling. Teams can automate the collection of story snippets via form submissions, embed video and voice notes in internal bulletins, and schedule releases around peak engagement windows. Analytics reveal which stories resonate—guiding future themes and formats.
Finally, NHS organisations should ensure that storytelling is not extractive. Recognition, visibility, and feedback loops must accompany publication. Staff should know what happens next with their story—whether it informs strategy, inspires colleagues, or shapes improvement initiatives.
In a sector driven by values but tested by volume and change, staff-led storytelling transforms communication into a shared, human act of sense-making. It invites people not just to listen—but to lead through their voice.
Internal communication teams across the NHS face the ongoing challenge of fostering staff engagement in environments characterised by high pressure, operational complexity, and often fragmented communication channels. A significant part of their role involves creating strategies that not only inform but inspire. Storytelling has become increasingly recognised as one of the most effective tools to achieve this.
According to PR Academy (2023), internal communications practitioners are not just message crafters—they are culture builders. In the NHS, this involves translating values, vision, and transformation into lived experience. However, many comms teams report challenges including information overload, limited access to non-desk-based staff, digital literacy gaps, and maintaining consistency across large, decentralised Trusts.
Storytelling addresses many of these issues by creating emotional resonance, improving retention, and building human connections across teams and services. The resource My Story, Our Future by Transformation Partners in Health and Care (2020) outlines how personal narratives can strengthen organisational culture, clarify strategy, and surface staff-led solutions. Similarly, NHS England’s guidance on Using Patient Stories (2015) encourages both clinical and non-clinical teams to leverage narrative for training, learning, and system redesign.
The Learning Handbook on Storytelling (NHS Improvement Hub, 2015) adds that stories must be gathered and shared with purpose. Comms teams must actively curate stories that align with strategic aims—whether it’s staff retention, diversity, innovation, or change management. The Impact of Storytelling in Health event hosted by the Health Foundation’s Q Community also highlighted how national policy and local delivery can be aligned through the power of lived experience.
Perhaps the most important task for comms teams is creating platforms and permission for stories to emerge. This means building trust, investing time in relationship-building, and ensuring contributors feel safe and heard. Another Trusted Delivery article on the power of storytelling reinforces that trust is built not through broadcast, but through reciprocity—sharing and listening.
Organisations that succeed in storytelling don’t simply amplify voices—they transform them into catalysts for culture change.
As the NHS continues to navigate complex reform, workforce pressures, and evolving patient needs, the role of internal communication will only grow in strategic importance. Storytelling—when practiced intentionally and inclusively—offers a dynamic pathway to fostering organisational trust, enhancing team connection, and sustaining morale.
Future-forward NHS organisations will embed storytelling not just into campaigns, but into the fabric of daily operations. They will invest in tools that support narrative collection and distribution at scale, ensure underrepresented voices are heard, and align communication strategies with trust-wide cultural goals.
Storytelling in NHS internal communications isn’t a one-off technique—it is a leadership practice. By amplifying lived experience, celebrating staff, and bridging silos, it nurtures belonging, resilience, and shared purpose.
For NHS teams ready to take their internal communication strategy further, now is the time to make space for stories—and the systems that support them.
Book a Trusted Delivery demo to learn how to scale storytelling securely across your organisation.
If you’re interested in the metrics and measurement aspects of these approaches, explore Trusted Delivery’s NHS Internal Communications Email Analytics 2024 article for insight into how story-driven content can outperform traditional formats.
Storytelling in NHS internal communication refers to using narrative formats—like personal experiences, case studies, and reflective pieces—to share values, explain change, and strengthen staff engagement.
Storytelling helps build emotional connections, improve retention of key messages, and create a shared sense of purpose across diverse teams.
Personal experiences of change, peer recognition stories, patient impact narratives, and progress updates tied to staff input are all effective.
Use interviews, surveys, open calls for submissions, team nominations, and leadership walkarounds to identify storytelling opportunities.
Short-form blogs, video clips, infographics, podcasts, voice notes, and first-person narratives shared via email or intranet.
It provides clarity on the ‘why’, humanises strategy, and makes abstract policy relatable—encouraging staff buy-in and trust.
Yes—without consent, clarity, or proper representation, storytelling can feel tokenistic. Stories must be authentic and respectful.
Yes—Trusted Delivery supports targeted, secure storytelling via multimedia-rich internal comms with tracking and segmentation.
Track open rates, click-throughs, qualitative feedback, and staff engagement metrics. Look for narrative themes in staff surveys.
Start small: invite one story a month, celebrate contributions publicly, and ensure leaders role-model vulnerability and openness.
BDC Partnership (2023). The Power of Storytelling. [online] Available at: https://bdcpartnership.co.uk/the-power-of-storytelling/ [Accessed 20 Oct. 2025].
Bruner, J. (1990). Acts of Meaning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (2022). CHFT’s EPR Story One Year On. [online] Available at: https://www.chft.nhs.uk/news/chfts-epr-story-one-year [Accessed 20 Oct. 2025].
Green, M.C., Brock, T.C. and Kaufman, G.F. (2004). Understanding Media Enjoyment: The Role of Transportation Into Narrative Worlds. Communication Theory, 14(4), pp.311–327.
Institute of Internal Communication (IoIC) (2025). Excellent Internal Communication is Integral to Trust. [online] Available at: https://www.ioic.org.uk/resource/excellent-internal-communication-is-integral-to-trust.html [Accessed 20 Oct. 2025].
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (2024). Celebrating Hidden Heroes. [online] Available at: https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/news-and-media/latest-news/2024/10/03/celebrating-our-hidden-heroes/ [Accessed 20 Oct. 2025].
Mid and South Essex ICS (2024). Shared Care Records Changing Lives. [online] Available at: https://www.midandsouthessex.ics.nhs.uk/news/2024/09/shared-care-records-changing-lives/ [Accessed 20 Oct. 2025].
NHS England (2015). Using Patient Stories. [pdf] Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/6cs/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2015/08/using-patient-stories.pdf [Accessed 20 Oct. 2025].
NHS Improvement Hub (2015). Learning Handbook on Storytelling. [pdf] Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/improvement-hub/wp-content/uploads/sites/44/2015/08/learning-handbook-story-telling.pdf [Accessed 20 Oct. 2025].
NHS Lothian (2024). You Said, We Did. [online] Available at: https://www.nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk/news/you-said-we-did/ [Accessed 20 Oct. 2025].