AN NHS trust has changed its name following a public vote.

5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which provides mental health services in Halton and runs the Brooker Centre beside Halton Hospital, changed its name to North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust on Saturday, April 1.

The new name was voted for by service users, carers, staff and members of the public.

More than 1,000 votes were placed during the three-week consultation, with the chosen name receiving 61 per cent of the ballot.

North West Boroughs Care NHS Foundation Trust and Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester Care NHS Foundation Trust were options rejected by the public.

The trust had opted to change its name after it began providing services in areas outside the five boroughs of Warrington, Halton, St Helens, Wigan and Knowsley.

Chairman Bernard Pilkington said: “Our trust is growing and the trust board agrees this is the right time to change our name to reflect the new look community and mental health provider we have become.

“We also feel strongly that our service users, carers and staff in the new boroughs we are and will be serving deserve to have a sense of belonging to an organisation which includes them within its name, which North West Boroughs Healthcare does.”