“Recruitment has been the base on which the rebranding argument has been built. It is a pretty shallow base. The key to recruitment is to have high morale,” writes MICHAEL MOORE, a former ACT Health Minister.

Canberra Health Services has had its fair share of poor publicity. Will spending $1.5million on rebranding really help?

Rebranding is just one part of the equation. Health Minister, Rachel Stephen-Smith also likes to tell the positive stories – as she did late last month regarding the amazing research being conducted by clinicians and academics within her portfolio.

One and a half million dollars could employ additional staff and help relieve pressure where there are staff shortages. Staff shortages and staff morale are the key issues that impact on the health portfolio.

As pointed out by ABC journalist, Harry Frost, the last 12 months has not been an era of good publicity for the Canberra Health Services. He drew attention to multiple headlines that should be a debilitating message for any health minister or any government.

The death of a five year old, warning of “dangerous cardiac” situations, and a patient waiting three hours after breaking a neck are just a taste of the poor publicity.

The impact on staff morale of these sorts of headlines cannot be underestimated. Will a new logo turn this around? Or are there mixed motivations?

The takeover of Calvary Hospital Bruce from The Little Company of Mary has caused significant concern in the community and amongst staff. Canberra Health Services is hoping that rebranding will bring those staff into the fold in a very mechanical manner.

Deputy chief executive Janet Zagari argued that with the takeover of the now North Canberra Hospital it was “really important to have a brand that represented all of CHS rather than just some areas”.

No doubt, rebranded uniforms will constantly remind the staff at the hospital that they are the North Canberra Hospital – no longer Calvary staff. It might be irritating, but they will clearly be part of the Canberra Health Services.

However, rebranding is not restricted to one facility. Canberra Health Services is responsible for 25 facilities across the ACT. Ms Zagari has argued that appearances are critically important for managing thousands of staff across the territory and especially for recruitment.

Recruitment has been the base on which the rebranding argument has been built. It is a pretty shallow base. The key to recruitment is to have high morale, and a health and hospital system that is rated as the highest in the country by independent assessment. Since Labor came to power, the Canberra hospital system has moved from being rated the highest hospital system in Australia to the lowest.

According to Ms Zagari: “We know that in order to attract staff to come and work in Canberra Health Services, but also to attract research grants, those sorts of things, that a very clear brand strategy is important”.

Surely, ensuring appropriate staff morale would come a long way before spending money on peripheral issues such as branding.

It is not as though the ACT government is flush with money. The CityNews has constantly discussed the financial woes of the territory. This has included increased taxation, increased borrowings, the loss of the Standard and Poor’s AAA+ credit rating along with misdirected spending on pet projects.

If the ACT were flush with a surplus, there would be much less room for criticism. However, Treasurer and Chief Minister Andrew Barr has never delivered a surplus budget.

Ms Zagari argues that a rebranding will provide a fresh face and create an atmosphere of modern thinking to assist in recruiting. The claim is that recruiting teams in NZ, the UK and Ireland argue the new logo is helpful in attracting staff. The two-minute video to attract new staff features the new logo as a tiny icon at the top left of the screen.

Trying to cover up failures in our health system is attempted by telling the good news stories. The inaugural clinical research report, for example, highlighted some of the amazing research being conducted by researchers and clinicians within Canberra Health Services and supported by a range of academic institutions.

Research is important and the achievements ought to be recognised. However, research is not the key to staff morale or recruitment.

How many nurses will be recruited because Canberra has some outstanding research projects?

Surely, improving morale and spreading the message about all the good work that the current staff in the Canberra Health Services do… is a much more important tool for recruiters than a new brand!

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health. He has been a political columnist with “CityNews” since 2006.

KEEPING UP THE ACT