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NHS Trust name change 'all about vanity' - MP

Alice McKeegan
23/ 8/2008

HEALTH bosses have defended their decision to rebrand a primary care trust after being accused of ‘wasting money’ by the MP for Rochdale.

From September, Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Primary Care Trust will be rebranded as NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale.

Paul Rowen MP claimed the decision was ‘a complete waste of money and all about vanity’, saying that recent examples of rebranding have cost primary care trusts up to £15,000 to purchase new signs and stationery.

A spokeswoman for the trust rejected the claims and insisted that there would be no costs involved.

She said: "There will be no costs associated with this ‘rebrand’ which is simply a new logo.

"We do not have printed letterheads – our stationery is held on electronic template – and items such as information booklets will only be reprinted as stocks run out.

"Signage will be replaced when it is beyond economical repair and identity badges and uniforms will use the new logo only when new ones are issued."

The trust hopes that the new name will help to position the organisation as the local leader of the NHS and support its strategy to improve the health and well being of everyone in the borough.

Trevor Purt, chief executive of the trust, added: "We want our local community to gain a better understanding of what we are here to do.

"As NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale, we will continue to drive and develop local health services now and for the future. In what is the 60th anniversary of the NHS, we face exciting and challenging times."

Mr Rowen said: "I would argue that this move is both unnecessary and costly. The PCT should be putting the care of patients first instead of their public image.

"This seems to be a trendy, vanity-led project that won’t help the health of the people of this borough one iota."


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Most recent 1 of 1 user comments

   I think Mr Rowen is correct. Unfortunately this is all too typical of the managers in the NHS today. When I worked in a local hospital I remember waking up one day to find that the former hospital manager was now a 'chief executive' and we had new coloured notepaper and logo to pronounce the fact. A complete waste of money which a few years later was compounded by a decion of the NHS hierarchy in London, that all hospitals should have similar letter headings. was again wastefully
Donald, manchester
25/08/2008 at 14:48
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