Outcry forces U-turn on new hospital name
HEALTH bosses have backed down over plans to remove the name Pinderfields from the city's new £260m hospital.
After public outrage hospital bosses have made a dramatic u-turn on the moniker for Wakefield Hospital.
It will now be called Wakefield Pinderfields Hospital, subject to approval at a meeting of Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust later this month.
The decision was announced on Wednesday, by Julia Squire, chief executive of the trust.
She said: “First of all, on behalf of all our staff in the Trust I’d like to say how much we value the intense loyalty people have shown to the Pinderfields name.
“The decision to adopt a new name for the new hospital in Wakefield was made with the very best intentions.
“But we acknowledge the strength of local feeling and the excellent reputation and history that is so obviously associated with the name Pinderfields.
“I am therefore recommending to the trust board the new hospital should be named Wakefield Pinderfields Hospital, as suggested to us by local people.”
Health watchdog Wakefield LINk had received scores of complaints over the name change – made without public consultation – and were due to hold a public meeting on the topic on Monday.
It will still go ahead, but they will be asking the public to come up with their own suggestions for a name which they will recommend to the Trust.
Jan Power, chairman elect of the LINk, said they welcomed the decision to review the previous decision.
Former hospital consultants, union bosses, and council health chiefs had all stood out against the change.
Wakefield Council leader Peter Box supported LINk’s campaign and the Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee were set to discuss the row at their next meeting on Thursday. A spokesperson for The Pinderfields Retired Consultants Group said they still had concerns.
He said: “To call it Wakefield Hospital was clearly the wrong decision, but to change it again without consultation is flawed.”
On Friday, the districts MPs, Mary Creagh, Yvette Cooper and Jon Trickett met Ms Squire to urge her to hold a new consultation on the name. Normanton MP Ed Balls also voiced concerns.
l Wakefield LINk’s public meeting is at Wakefield Town Hall on Monday at 6.30pm.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Wakefield
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: 0 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light snow
Temperature: -2 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
