What the NHS CPC brand means to me: Proud of our roots, reflecting our future

For me, the refreshed NHS CPC brand is about much more than a logo. It reflects the organisation we have become, the relationships we have built, and our ambition to keep developing in support of the NHS. Our brand helps people recognise us but it is their experience of working with NHS CPC – our people, our expertise and the trust we build – that gives our brand meaning.

Our roots are firmly in the North of England, and I think we should always be proud of that. It is part of our history and our character. But our relationships, partnerships and impact now extend much further. The refreshed brand reflects that evolution while retaining a clear connection to where we began. For me, that feels right. We don’t have to choose between being proud of our roots and being ambitious about our future; we can do both.

NHS CPC was established in 2007, and as we approach our twentieth anniversary, it is difficult not to reflect on the journey we have been on. Procurement has changed. The NHS has changed. The expectations placed upon us remain as challenging as ever. We have developed our capabilities, built new partnerships and broadened the ways we support the NHS. I am enormously proud of that. But what matters most to me is what has remained constant; we are here to do the right thing in support of the NHS.

One of the things I particularly like about the new NHS CPC symbol is its connection to our previous identity. Familiar shapes have evolved to reflect progress, partnership and collaboration, while retaining a subtle acknowledgement of our Yorkshire roots.  I think that balance between continuity and change tells our story rather well and feels true to NHS CPC.

At its heart, NHS CPC is about collaboration; bringing together members, customers, suppliers and partners to support the NHS. Our refreshed identity makes that purpose clearer. In a complex and challenging NHS landscape, the things we are here to do remain the same:

• We help the NHS spend every pound wisely
• We connect expertise, partners and solutions to improve healthcare
• We enable better outcomes through trusted commercial support.

Over the years, I have seen NHS CPC build strong relationships, often lasting through organisational changes, different programmes, and different challenges. Those relationships aren’t created by a logo; they are built by people taking time to understand a problem, sharing expertise, doing what we said we would do, and going that little bit further to help. Most importantly, strong relationships come from behaving with integrity when things are difficult. For me, that is where a brand really lives and what it feels like to work with NHS CPC.

As we approach our twentieth anniversary, I don’t want us to simply celebrate what we have already achieved, I want us to remain ambitious and forward-looking; developing our capabilities, embracing innovation, and finding new ways to support the NHS. I want NHS CPC to remain an organisation the NHS trusts to help solve its commercial and procurement challenges. Growth and evolution should strengthen, not dilute, what matters most; our relationships, accessibility, expertise, willingness to collaborate and, above all, our commitment to the NHS.

So, when I look at the refreshed NHS CPC brand, I don’t see an organisation trying to reinvent itself. I see an organisation expressing more clearly who it is today: proud of its roots, confident about its future and committed to the NHS. An organisation whose greatest strength continues to be its people. That is what the NHS CPC brand means to me.

For our members, customers, suppliers and partners, that is the message I hope comes through: an evolving NHS CPC, with the same commitment to collaboration and trusted support. As we approach twenty years, I am incredibly proud of what we have built together and genuinely excited about what comes next.