News of ancient document which exempted surgeons from battle before Geneva Convention shared by Scottish PR agency

ROYAL College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) and its archive of medical history has fascinated media outlets across the U.K. as a letter by Mary Queen of Scots setting down the right of surgeons to not have to bear arms in battle was made public online.

The letter declared that surgeons should focus on performing their duty of care and remedy to the wounded instead of fighting, 300 years before Geneva Convention which has seen the establishment of international law for humanitarian treatment in war.

With the recent BAFTA-nominated film about the Catholic Queen of Scotland capturing people’s interest around the world, it was the perfect time for us to seize the opportunity to promote the College’s extensive database that dates back to the 15^th century.

The story gained multiple items of coverage both in Scotland and further afield, securing an impressive 1.9 MILLION OPPORTUNITIES TO SEE.

Highlights included:

• 30 articles, online reports and other pieces of coverage in the media
• National coverage in Scotland’s most respected titles, including The National, The Times, The Sunday Post, Daily Record and The Herald
• Online coverage on some of the biggest news portals including aol.co.uk, yahoo, The Sun and Mail Online
• A host of coverage in influential regional and local news titles, including the Edinburgh Evening News, Edinburgh Reporter, Edinburgh Live, Evening Express, The Courier and Press and Journal
• Extensive reach and interest beyond Scotland, thanks to articles in outlets as diverse as the Belfast Telegraph, the Shropshire Star and the Bailiwick Express
• Shared across Twitter and Facebook by numerous news outlets – social shares by The National alone had a reach of 76,000

Boosting its media profile through stories such as this raises the public’s understanding of the College’s valuable work and heritage. This helps to position the RCSEd as the go-to body for opinions and information on surgical matters as well as encourage membership sign-ups.

The new Library and Archive resource by RCSEd is accessible online here.

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