Residents in Cumbria are being asked for their views on the name for the new NHS trust which will be formed in the county.

Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) and North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust (NCUH) plan to merge to form one organisation by October.

NCUH runs the West Cumberland Hospital and the Cumberland Infirmary while CPFT currently delivers community services in north and west Cumbria and children and families, mental health and specialist services across the county. Plans to merge the two organisations coincide with plans to transfer countywide mental health and learning disability services to other providers.

The NHS has become one of the most cherished, trusted and powerful brands and as such there are clear guidelines for naming NHS organisations. The guidelines state the name must be clear, logical and descriptive, start with a geographic reference and end with the organisational descriptor, NHS Foundation Trust. Addition of the words ‘teaching’ ‘university’ or ‘integrated’ can also be considered. A list of potential names was developed with the trust’s governors helped to create a shortlist.

Trust bosses asked staff, partners and the public for feedback and a consultation process is underway.

The shortlisted names and the main pros and cons identified as part of the survey so far are: Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, North Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, Lake District NHS Foundation Trust and North Lake District NHS Foundation Trust.

These options were shared towards the end of March at the start of a 6 week engagement period to gather views on the merger. Staff, partner organisations and the public have all been asked to choose their favourite and more than 500 people responded in the first two days alone. The suggestions have divided opinions, with some positive about them, others against them and some suggesting their own alternatives.

Daniel Scheffer, company secretary, said: “Choosing a name for the new trust isn’t easy and people have strong preferences on what it should or shouldn’t be. We want to receive feedback on the four options together with any alternative suggestions people may have. The name choice is very important as it will help mark a new beginning for health services in Cumbria. There are pros and cons to each option and we’ll look at all feedback before making a decision.”

The trusts will continue to seek views on the new name throughout the engagement period. You can share your thoughts on your favourite, or an alternative, by completing the survey or look out for polls on social media this week.

n To complete the survey go to: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/DDVYPG6.