Lady Cilento hospital name to be changed after public consultation

QUEENSLAND’S Health Minister has bowed to pressure and will allow the public to have their say on a new name for the Lady Cilento children’s hospital, but the move has been slammed by the Opposition. Should it be changed? TAKE OUR POLL

QUEENSLAND’S Health Minister has bowed to pressure and will allow the public to have their say on a new name for the Lady Cilento children’s hospital.

Dr Miles has opened a one-month consultation period to consider a change to the Queensland Children’s Hospital – as it was known in the planning stages as early as 2007.

“You have convinced me and you have convinced the Government,” he said.

“We will now give the public a month to have their say.”

Health Minister Steven Miles opens one month consultation on name change for Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital. “You have convinced me and you have convinced the Government,” he said. @couriermail #qldpol

— Sarah Vogler (@SarahLVogler) July 30, 2018

Doctors said the name confused many parents who believed the hospital was privately operated but Former premier Campbell Newman has described the move as an example of “blatant hypocrisy” on behalf of the Palaszczuk Government.

Mr Newman said he and former Health minister Lawrence Springborg chose to name the hospital after Lady Phyllis Cilento after asking health public servants for suggestions.

He said they wanted to honour a female clinician.

Former premier Campbell Newman accused the Labor Government of ‘blatant hypocrisy’ over its move. Picture Kym Smith

“They are always carrying on about how they want to support women, how they want to advance the cause of women and here is a female who is head and shoulders above other clinicians in Queensland’s history.

“Lady Cilento was arguably the leading female clinician in the last 100 years and the Labor party want to erase her place in history.

“This was recommended to me by public servants. Myself and the health minister (Mr Springborg) asked public servants for recommendations on who was suitable for the naming of this hospital.

“There was a process behind it.”

Dr Miles said he would ask his director-general to speak with the family and supporters of Laday Cilento about the name change. But he said the government supported the move.

Open day at Lady Cilento ChildrenÕs Hospital, South Brisbane. Pic Mark Cranitch.

Some specialists said the name was not attracting the international attention is deserved for its research work.

David Gow, the chair of the Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, wrote to Mr Miles, detailing the board’s concerns with the name.

More than 250 staff signed a petition calling for the hospital to be rebranded the Queensland Children’s Hospital instead.

The hospital was originally named after Phyllis Dorothy Cilento, a pioneering doctor and journalist who wrote a health column in The Courier-Mail under the nom de plume “Medical Mother”.

Deputy LNP leader Tim Mander has attacked the name change proposal. Picture: Anna Rogers

Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander slammed the move to rename the hospital.

“Unlike Labor, who want to rename everything after former Labor pollies, the hospital was named after Phyllis Dorothy Cilento, who was a fierce advocate for the health of mothers and children,” he said in a statement.

“Her story is inspiring and should be celebrated by Queenslanders.

“Labor’s excuse that people don’t know where it is simply doesn’t wash. The Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Alexandra Hospitals don’t have their location in their titles, the world-famous Johns Hopkins doesn’t either.

“Just because Labor’s Anna Bligh put the hospital in the wrong spot doesn’t mean the Cilento name should be abandoned.”

Oh right ! We have a Princess Alexandra hospital, Prince Charles hospital and a Queen Elizabeth II hospital but somehow a female medical pioneer who actually lived in Queensland isn't suitable ! Whats this @AnnastaciaMP bulldust really about ? #qldpol https://t.co/7i1HFED1w9

— Campbell Newman (@CampbellNewman) July 30, 2018

Mr Newman rejected suggestions the naming of the hospital had been was a captain’s call on his behalf.

“Don’t try and compare it to Annastacia Palaszczuk’s disastrous effort in recent weeks in this space,” he said.

Mr Newman also rejected the reasons behind the move to rename the hospital including market research showing one in four parents thought it was a private hospital.

“How do people know that the Prince Charles is a public hospital, or that the Princess Alexandra Hospital is a a public hospital, or the QEII,” he said.

“Give me a break.

“I don’t see that they have made an effort (to inform the public).

“What is the real agenda.”

The public has until the end of August to have their say before the name is changed.