ROYAL REBRANDING: GREER QUESTIONS HOSPITAL COSTS
Scottish Greens today hit out at the £100,000 cost of the royal rebranding of the South Glasgow University Hospital as the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
In response to a Freedom of Information request, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has confirmed the costs:
Royal event: £29000
Catering: £18836
Plaques: £51000
Signs: £1650
Total: £100,486
Ross Greer, Scottish Green MSP candidate for West of Scotland, said:
“It’s not hard to think of a few dozen ways to better spend £100,000 of NHS funds. Serious questions need to be asked as to how far in advance it was known that the hospital may be renamed and rebranded and whether this ridiculous waste could have been avoided. I don’t think anyone could seriously argue that £51,000 on new plaques was an unavoidable and necessary spend.
"Aside from the cost itself it really does beggar belief that such an amazing new facility could not have been named after one of the many notable figures Scotland has contributed to the field of medicine. Considering the number of places across the country named after Mrs Windsor, I’m sure she wouldn’t have lost much sleep if she missed out on this one.”
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde statement