HOSPITAL campaigners are furious after an announcement that the a health trust is changing the name of Felixstowe General Hospital at a time of severe cash shortages.

By Richard Cornwell

HOSPITAL campaigners are furious after an announcement that the a health trust is changing the name of Felixstowe General Hospital at a time of severe cash shortages.

Health bosses believe the Felixstowe General should be given a new image to complement its £1.76 million refurbishment as it will be able to offer so many more services than it could before.

But campaigners who have been fighting to save the hospital from closure say a new name - which has not been chosen yet - would be a waste of time, and doubt few people in the town would use it.

In addition, there will be extra costs, with new road signs and signs outside the hospital to be paid for, new stationery and other internal items which will need rebranding - items which a Primary Care Trust in debt can ill afford.

Roy Gray, chairman of the Felixstowe Save Our Hospitals Action Group, said: “Renaming the hospital is a waste of time and a waste of money.

“I have written to the PCT to ask them whether it really is necessary and why they feel the need to do this.

“There will be costs involved because there always is - surely a new name for a hospital is the last thing they should be spending their time worrying about.”

Health campaigner Ian Heeley said: “What an absolute load of rubbish. New names only cause confusion - everyone will still call it Felixstowe General even if it has a new name. We don't need a new name.

“They should be spending the money this will cost on health services.”

However, it will not be the first name change for the hospital in Constable Road.

When it began life in 1910 - built as a gift from Charles Croydon - it was known as the Cottage Hospital.

Martin Royal, Suffolk PCT's director of business development, said: “We are working with the locality planning group, which includes representatives from the community, to find the right name for the new hospital - one that reflects its future as a modern state-of-the art community hospital.

“In the meantime, work on the £1.76m refurbishment scheme is on schedule.”

What do you think of renaming Felixstowe General Hospital - good idea or waste of money? What new name should it have? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk

Did you know?

Names fail to stick in Felixstowe - The Half Moon pub was renamed the Tap and Spile but everyone still called it by its original name and eventually it was changed back, and the Ordnance Hotel became The Grange but has since reverted to its proper name.