Cilento family considering legal options over hospital name change

THE family of Lady Phyllis Cilento say they are considering legal options as they battle to stop her name being taken off the state’s children’s hospital.

THE family of Lady Phyllis Cilento say they are considering legal options as they battle to stop her name being taken off the state’s children’s hospital.

Giovanna Cilento, her lawyer Michael Williams and other members of the Cilento family met with Health Minister Steven Miles this afternoon to discuss the State’s decision to rename the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital the Queensland Children’s Hospital.

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Ms Cilento said the family was “deeply insulted” by the decision to rename the hospital.

Lady Phyllis Cilento.

“At a time when three per cent of buildings in Australia and monuments are named after women, this state is the state that takes a woman’s name off a hospital,” she said at a press conference following the meeting.

“A woman who is a pioneering, founding member of female physicians in Australia.

“She actually qualified 100 years ago this month as the only woman in her class and the amount of work she did, she did 65 years of serving the community.”

Ms Cilento accused the Government of refusing to listen to the family’s plea.

“And what they offered us instead was a sewing kit or something. We can have an art award or we can name the auditorium after her.

“The only time that buildings get renamed is when someone is a criminal and our grandmother was not a criminal.

“We are not going to let this go. There is more that we can do.”

Mr Williams said the family was looking at its options including its legal options and called for the public to get behind the family.

Health Minister Steven Miles met with representatives of the Cilento family today and says he will meet with them again. Picture: Liam Kidston.

“We don’t believe that this is a fait accompli. “We do not believe that this decision can’t be undone.

“While the signage is still on the hospital we’ve still got some hope of this decision being reversed.”

Health Minister Steven Miles has committed to speaking to the family again in a bid to reach an agreement on an alternative naming option.

“As I committed to do I met with the Cilento family this afternoon,” he said.

“I appreciate them taking the time to meet with me. Understandably they do not support the decision taken by the government to agree to the requests of staff, the board and charitable foundation to change the name of the hospital.

“I had hoped to reach an agreement on another appropriate way to recognise Lady Cilento’s contribution. Although we were unable to reach agreement I have committed to meet with them again in the future should they reconsider.

“I reiterated that the decision was made sincerely after a lengthy consultation process to ensure all Queenslanders knew that it was the children’s hospital for all of Queensland.”