Canberra Health Services defends rebrand as more concerns about $1.5 million cost

Health authorities have said the rebrand will boost the organisation and make it competitive but the opposition has slammed the rebrand saying it will do nothing to fix the system crisis and the government should be focused on this instead.

The cost of the rebrand includes the previously reported two-year $800,000 contract with a design company but it's also been revealed two new roles within Canberra Health Services were created for the rebrand.

The entire rebrand is expected to cost $1,542,105.

The rebranding project started following a 2021 audit of "consumers" and staff of Canberra Health Services, which found the organisation lacked a "clear and cohesive brand architecture".

"This is significantly impacting on our ability to become a leading specialist provider," an internal briefing of the rebrand said.

The audit found people had difficulties finding their way around the hospital due to poor signage, they found the public health system confusing and were unaware of Canberra Health Services' other community health organisations.

It found there was outdated and inconsistent branding across health facilities, websites, communications and uniforms had affected staff morale and lowered the expectations of patients.

The audit was largely redacted from a freedom of information request as it could "prejudice the trade secrets and commercial activity of a non-government entity" but an unredacted part included scathing comments from staff.

"Doctors don't seem themselves as aligned to an organisation," one comment said.

Another said: "What's missing is an obvious cultural connection. Many employees wouldn't recommend bringing patients here".

The rebrand will not change the name of the organisation. It will include the design of new uniforms, signs to help people find their way around the organisation's facilities, a new logo, improved communications and recruitment advertising.

Some of Canberra Health Services community organisations will be renamed.

Canberra Health Services chief executive Dave Peffer argued the investment would improve the healthcare experience for Canberrans.

"Simpilfying how Canberrans navigate our services and programs will move us closer towards patients being able to access the right services in the right place," he said.

"Likewise, the work we're doing in recruitment will improve our ability to attract high-calibre new team members, all with the goal of providing better patient care for our community."

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The rebrand also needed to be done before the new critical services building at Canberra Hospital is completed, officials said, as it would save millions in retrofitting.

"Either we invest now as we're refreshing our infrastructure - or we have brand new facilities with out-of-date signage and brands, generating confusion and contributing to a poor patient experience," Mr Peffer said.

Journalists were extensively briefed by Canberra Health Services on Wednesday about the rebrand. The Canberra Liberals received freedom of information documents containing details about the rebrand on Thursday.

Opposition health spokeswoman Leanne Castley said Canberra Health Services had relied on a "muddle-headed assumption" that a lack of clear branding was affecting the organisation's ability to become a leading provider.

"Spending upwards of $1.5 million to rebrand is not going to fix anything for Canberrans trying to access good health care," she said.

"If it is the brand that is on the nose then fix the hospital, fix the system. Get that right. There's no need to do a rebrand to fix that."

Ms Castley said she did not feel a rebrand would help the organisation attract new staff, saying it already had a poor reputation across the nation.

"Within Australia people talk about our health system. We know people have said openly they don't want to come here and that they are leaving because it is no longer a good work environment," she said.

"That's a disgrace."

Mr Peffer said the organisation was still committed to improving culture but branding was important. He said workforce shortages were putting pressures on teams and the service was paying "premium rates" to fly-in specialists.

He said service had recruited more than 1700 staff over the past 12 months.

"The market for talent in healthcare is competitive. We're up against much larger, well established health services that are running big-money recruitment campaigns nationally, and globally," he said.

"In a marketplace like that, using old recruitment artefacts and campaigns is like turning up with your under-7s team to play in the NRL. The competition is in a different league. And it shows in the results."

Ms Castley said she would also take the freedom of information documents to the Ombudsman for review over the fact most of the audit was redacted.

The redacted parts of the audit mostly included assessments of the different elements of the Canberra Health Services brand, including communications, websites, the logo and uniforms.

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