THE organisation in charge of Buckinghamshire's hospitals has changed its name – prompting concerns that patients will be 'even more confused' by the switch.

The former Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust took over the running of 'community care', such as district nurses and hospitals in Marlow and Chalfont St Peter, in April.

Bosses said the new name, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, will “better reflect our new integrated organisation”.

Juliet Brown, a strategy director at the trust, said: “We had to change our name because we are not just providing care in hospitals.

"We are not spending money specifically on it. The signs will gradually change. We are not spending money up front."

Last year Buckinghamshire NHS Primary Care Trust – a separate organisation which decides where money is spent on healthcare – changed its name to NHS Buckinghamshire at a cost of £5,000 for new signs.

Bill Russell, a member of the Buckinghamshire Local Involvement Network, an NHS watchdog, said: “Despite the merger of the hospitals some years ago most people don't know what the organisation called Buckinghamshire Hsopitals NHS Trust is or does.

“The same is true of the Buckinghamshire PCT which changed its name to NHS Buckinghamshire. I doubt if many people even noticed the name change... The constant changes of name and the changes to the NHS are not good for anyone.”