Why we named our agency after the NHS’s most cherished symbol
People often ask us why we’re called Blue Lozenge. This week, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care answered that question better than we ever have.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Yvette Cooper wrote to NHS England and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) staff to set out the next steps in bringing the two organisations together.
In it, she wrote that “the blue lozenge with the three white letters is cherished” by the public and by everyone who works in the NHS. She made the point that the NHS is not just another arm of government. That small blue shape stands for something people trust and feel proud of. It is a promise of care.
That is exactly why our founder, Rachel Royall, chose the name when she set up Blue Lozenge in 2021.
It is also why our values align to the NHS Constitution
- We improve lives
- We’re compassionate
- We bring joy
- We collaborate and
- We are data-driven
Those values shape how we work with every client.
At a time of change and transition for the NHS, the Secretary of State reached for that shared symbol to reassure staff about what will not change. That is strategic communication at work: an identity that carries meaning when the structures around it change.
The same principle applies to every organisation going through change. Structures, names and reporting lines can move. What keeps people with you is a clear sense of purpose, explained well and repeated consistently.
The letter sent by Yvette Cooper outlines the next steps for the NHS and the organisations that surround it. The letter confirms that NHS England will move back into DHSC on 1 April 2027, subject to the Health Bill. The role of NHS Chief Executive will stay, leading a new NHS Group inside the department and a temporary special health authority will host the seven regional teams during the move to a more devolved model.
She also announced a new DHSC team to support patients and families who have experienced harm, a Clinical Council to advise ministers and an oversight group reporting directly to her
These announcements say a great deal about where the Secretary of State wants the system to go. The new team for people who have experienced harm sits alongside a retained Healthwatch and a new Patient Experience Director in the department.
In her letter, she says families too often feel they have to fight the system to be heard. For trusts, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and patient safety organisations, that sets a clear expectation. How you listen, respond and explain after something goes wrong will be watched more closely and families will have a new route to raise concerns nationally
The new Clinical Council points the same way. Senior clinicians will advise ministers directly on the NHS’s major clinical priorities. Clinical voices will carry more weight in national decisions, so organisations that want to be heard should put their clinicians at the centre of their engagement.
For communicators, the message is that candour, listening and clinical credibility are becoming national expectations rather than good practice.
The coming months will bring formal consultation, new structures and new ways of working across DHSC, the NHS regional teams, integrated care boards (ICBs) and trusts. Clear, honest communication with staff and stakeholders will matter more than ever
Blue Lozenge is a strategic communication and engagement agency for healthcare leaders. Many of our team have worked inside the NHS, national bodies and government. We support organisations through change with internal communication and staff engagement, stakeholder engagement, change communication planning and interim communications support when teams are stretched
If you are leading a team through this transition, we would be glad to talk. Find out more about us or email hello@bluelozenge.co.uk.
