30 minutes with Phil Hemmings

What's your role?

I’m the associate director for the publishing team, which is part of our Communications Directorate. I lead the team of editors and digital publishers who ensure everything we publish is of the highest possible quality and tailored for our audiences. This means making sure it’s accurate, well structured, easy to understand, accessible and consistent. As part of this, we oversee the style guide and provide training in how to write. We work across outputs for all of NICE and also create and maintain NICE Pathways.

Phil Hemmings, associate director, publishing team.

How long have you worked at NICE?

Just over a year. I joined in September 2018.

What do you like most about your role and why?

Helping NICE to do its work, even in some small way, is very rewarding. We are all lucky that we get to do something for the greater good, helping people and society. Plus NICE is full of bright and caring people, so it’s a pleasure to work here.

What makes you proud to work at NICE?

The role it plays in the health and care system, not just here but its influence across the world. It has a culture of doing everything to the highest possible standards.

Phil Hemmings, associate director, publishing team.

What challenges do you think NICE will face in the next 12 months?

The first year of the new government will be interesting, and the consequences of Brexit are yet to be revealed.

Internally, the Connect project will continue to develop and this will require time and focus while maintaining the same high standards in the day job. But NICE has a lot of very smart people, and I’m very fortunate to have a team that has intimate knowledge of how our content is produced and how it fits together, which is an invaluable asset for this project. It means we can play our part in making Connect a success.

What have been your greatest professional achievements?

Professionally, getting to run editorial and publishing teams and be part of their successes. One example that springs to mind is that I was editor of the magazine Nursing Times when the 7/7 London bombings happened. Only half the team was able to get to work that day and security were going to close the building for the rest of the week. We faced missing a print deadline for the first time in our 100-year history. But everyone pulled together and worked furiously on that day to get an edition out ahead of schedule. It wasn’t just a normal issue either but a special, featuring exclusive interviews with nurses who treated the victims. We won a publishing company award for that.

I was on the transition team at the Department of Health that designed Public Health England. So, I was able to set up the publishing processes, policies and team for the new organisation.

I led the team during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and coordinated the national publishing on that, which was fairly intense. I created a basic messages poster that was discussed at the government’s emergency council, COBRA, and ended up being displayed in airports, ports, pharmacies, GP practices and A&E departments across the UK.

Phil coordinated national publishing for the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

A blood collection tube label with ebola virus and tick.

Phil coordinated national publishing for the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

Black and white image of train tracks leading to a brick building with a watch tower.

Phil recently took his children to the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland.

Who has been your biggest influence?

I’ve been lucky to work with a lot of very talented people, and I try to learn from them as best I can.

What single word would other people use to describe you?

I hope it’s something like ‘reasonable’ or ‘thoughtful’. At my wedding, my best man called me ‘a laid-back worrier’, which is probably accurate.

What was the last film you watched?

27 Dresses. I have 2 teenage daughters and they love a good romcom, so I am subjected to a lot of them. But I’d rather watch that genre than most others anyway.

Describe your perfect holiday destination

It’s a running joke with my family that wherever we go, I manage to drag them to the scene of some historic atrocity. I just like to explore the past of places we visit. So, probably somewhere cheap and warm that’s got an interesting history. Suggestions welcome!

The last time you got on a plane, where were you going?

To Krakow in Poland, so I could take my children to see Auschwitz. See previous answer. They are all interested in history and I think everyone should go there once. But Krakow is a beautiful city generally. I’d certainly recommend it.

Phil recently took his children to the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland.

What do you do in your spare time?

My children are very into sport and music so I often spend weekends beside muddy pitches or listening to them perform. One of my daughters plays for an Arsenal youth side so I watch her a lot. I also like to read and try to keep fit.

What keeps you up at night?

Teenage children being out late, and the world being on fire.

Name one thing about you which few people know?

I have a phobia of buttons. It’s called koumpounophobia. I can’t recall any childhood trauma involving them. It sounds weird, but then so are a lot of phobias, and it’s arguably no more illogical than being afraid of harmless spiders. I often find that when I mention it to people, they admit having a phobia that is stranger than mine. Apparently, Steve Jobs also had it, which was why he developed Apple products with touch screens.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you have with you?

Assuming I can’t take anything useful, I’d probably want some pleasant company, some PG Wodehouse to keep me cheerful, and some means of playing or listening to music.

What is your guilty pleasure?

1970s music. I like acts such as Carpenters (note it’s not ‘The Carpenters’), Bowie, early Rod Stewart and Neil Diamond. And I eat a lot of 85% dark chocolate.