The memory of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, will live on in the name of the UK’s most technically-advanced hospital, it was announced today.
The new hospital, the largest single-site development of its kind in the UK, is to be called the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB), which will run services in the spectacular new building, unveiled the name this afternoon.
When construction is finished, the building will replace the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Selly Oak Hospital.
UHB Chief Executive Julie Moore said today: “As a foundation trust we are very proud of our association with the Queen Mother. Keeping that connection with our new hospital gives us continuity that will allow us to maintain and develop still further our reputation for clinical excellence.
“The Queen Elizabeth name has the greatest recognition both in the Midlands, across the UK and internationally. In that respect, we are very mindful of the long and cherished traditions of both the hospitals our new one will replace.
“Now the name has been chosen, we can forge ahead with even more confidence in our plans for moving in and developing fantastic world-class services in a truly fabulous building.”
The hospital’s striking architecture means it will be one of the most instantly recognised hospitals in the country.
Selecting a name for it involved in-depth consultations over many months with staff across UHB at both hospitals, patient groups, the public and partner organisations.
Ms Moore explained: “It emerged that many people did not want a radically different name. Also, the new hospital is on the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Campus and the current QE is recognised as part of UHB.
“Therefore, it made sense to make use of the continuity that keeping the royal connection would provide. It will also allow UHB to build on the growing reputation for world-class care that both the QE and Selly Oak hospitals have been developing in their respective fields.”
To aid selection, a shortlist of four names was drawn up.
More than 500 people were then surveyed, including staff on both hospital sites, governors, foundation trust members and members of the public in Northfield, Harborne, Selly Oak, Hall Green and Birmingham city centre.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham was the preferred name with each group surveyed in every location.
Finally, the Trust had to seek the approval of Queen Elizabeth II to name the new hospital. Any building or organisation that carries a royal title has to be first sent to the Ministry of Justice. Its officials then seek approval from the Monarch.
The focus groups were carried by UHB communications staff from both the Selly Oak and QE sites.
The new facility – Birmingham’s first acute hospital in 70 years – is due to open the doors to its first patients in just 15 months’ time, in June 2010.
A phased move will eventually see the centralisation of all services currently located at the Queen Elizabeth and Selly Oak hospitals, by August 2012.
UHB Chairman Sir Albert Bore said: “Our new hospital may be ultra-modern but it is also a testament to our strong traditions which are embodied by our association with the Queen Mother, who gave her name to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
“The Queen Mother was always extremely interested in health issues, not least because of her deep concern for the welfare of the British people. I am sure she would have been amazed at the scale of the development that will honour her name for decades to come.
“I am also confident she would be delighted with the huge medical advances embodied by the building and the services we will provide in it, which will allow us to deliver the very best care to our patients.”
A spokesman for the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM) said: “The RCDM and the MoD recognise that today is an important milestone on the route to the opening of Birmingham’s new hospital and for the continued partnership between Defence and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. We wish the Chief Executive, her staff and the people of Birmingham every good wish for the future of this exciting project.”