Tessa Quinn
The Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane, Australia, was renamed the Queensland Children's Hospital in 2018. The hospital was originally named after Phyllis Dorothy Cilento, a doctor and medical journalist. However, about 900 staff signed a petition calling for a name change due to Cilento's history of racist and homophobic commentary. Queensland's health minister, Steven Miles, announced the decision to rename the hospital, citing confusion about whether it was a public or private facility. The new name, Queensland Children's Hospital, was chosen to clear up this confusion and to better represent the hospital's status as a public institution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the hospital | Lady Cilento Children's Hospital |
| New name | Queensland Children's Hospital |
| Reason for name change | To clear up confusion about whether the hospital was a public or private facility |
| Other reasons | Lady Cilento's racist and homophobic views |
| Year renamed | 2018 |
| Number of staff who signed the petition for the name change | 900 |
| Number of people from the public surveyed who were in favour of the name change | 38,000 |
| Percentage of the public surveyed who were in favour of the name change | 62% |
| Estimated cost of changing the hospital signage | $500,000 |
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What You'll Learn
Lady Cilento Children's Hospital renamed to Queensland Children's Hospital
The Lady Cilento Children's Hospital was renamed the Queensland Children's Hospital in 2018. The hospital in Brisbane, Australia, was originally named after Phyllis Dorothy Cilento, a doctor, medical journalist, and early advocate for family planning. She was also the inaugural president of the Queensland Medical Women's Society in 1929.
However, in August 2018, around 900 staff signed a petition to change the name of the hospital, citing Cilento's history of racist and homophobic comments. She had argued that children could catch diseases from "coloured" nurses and that homosexuals were a "malignant tumour". Staff also objected to her questionable medical writing and offensive newspaper and magazine columns. One nurse said: "I don't want to work in a place that is a monument to a quack".
The Queensland government supported the change, with health minister Steven Miles announcing the decision in September 2018. He said the new name would clear up confusion about whether the hospital was a public or private facility, which could impact potential patients and research funding. Miles also said the government wanted to find another way to honour Cilento, although her family felt insulted by suggestions to name an auditorium or art prize after her.
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Staff petition cites racist and homophobic views
In 2018, about 900 staff members at the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane, Queensland, signed a petition to have the hospital renamed, citing Lady Cilento's history of racist and homophobic commentary. Lady Cilento, born Phyllis Dorothy McGlew, was a doctor and medical journalist. She was the only woman in her graduating class at the University of Adelaide's School of Medicine in 1919. She was also an early advocate for family planning and having fathers present at the birth of their children.
Lady Cilento's racist views included her opposition to people of colour in the medical profession. She wrote that it would not be in the best interests of children "to be cared for by coloured labour" and that "practically all Asiatic and Melanesian races are walking reservoirs of tropical diseases". She also argued that children could catch diseases from "coloured" nurses. In addition to her racist views, Lady Cilento was also homophobic, referring to homosexuals as a "malignant tumour".
The staff at the hospital felt that it was insulting and inappropriate to have the building named after someone with such views. One nurse stated that they "don't want to work in a place that is a monument to a quack". The petition also highlighted the confusion among members of the public who thought the hospital was a private facility, which could potentially impact research funding.
In response to the petition, Queensland's Health Minister, Steven Miles, announced that the hospital would be renamed the Queensland Children's Hospital. Miles acknowledged the concerns raised by the staff and stated that the government wished to reach an agreement with Lady Cilento's family to properly recognise her contributions to Queensland. The decision to rename the hospital faced criticism from conservative politicians and outrage from the Cilento family, who felt that the name change damaged Lady Cilento's reputation and legacy.
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Public confusion over hospital type
The Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane, Queensland, was renamed the Queensland Children's Hospital in 2018. The decision was made by Queensland's health minister, Steven Miles, in response to a petition signed by about 900 staff members. The staff members objected to the hospital being named after Lady Cilento due to her history of racist and homophobic commentary. For example, she argued that children could catch diseases from "coloured" nurses and that homosexuals were a "malignant tumour".
However, the main reason cited by Miles for the name change was to clear up confusion about whether the hospital was a public or private facility. He stated that doctors had approached him with concerns that some parents were worried they could not afford treatment at the hospital, and a survey showed most parents did not know it was a public hospital. This confusion could also negatively impact the hospital's research funding and ability to participate in international research projects.
The decision to rename the hospital was met with criticism from conservative politicians and outrage from the Cilento family. Lady Cilento's son, David Cilento, felt that the name change was damaging to his mother's reputation and that the government should have chosen another way to recognise her contributions to Queensland. The LNP MP Jarrod Bleijie accused Miles and the premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, of "trashing the reputation of a pioneering woman".
Despite the controversy, the name change was supported by the hospital's medical staff association, its board, the Children's Hospital Foundation, and the public. More than 38,000 people, representing 62% of the public surveyed, were in favour of the new name.
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Cost of name change
The decision to rename Brisbane's Lady Cilento Children's Hospital was influenced by various factors, including staff petitions, public confusion, and the legacy of the hospital's namesake, Lady Cilento. The cost of changing the hospital signage was a significant consideration in the renaming process, estimated to be up to $500,000.
The hospital, originally named after Phyllis Dorothy Cilento, a doctor, and medical journalist, faced criticism from staff and the public due to Cilento's controversial views. About 900 staff members signed a petition, calling the building a ""monument to a quack"" and expressing concerns about her racist and homophobic commentary. Additionally, there was confusion among community members about whether the hospital was a public or private facility, impacting the involvement of international research projects.
The Queensland government and Health Minister Steven Miles supported the name change, citing the need to clear up confusion and find alternative ways to honour Lady Cilento. Miles emphasized that the cost of the change would be funded by the Department of Housing and Public Works, ensuring that the Queensland Health budget would not be affected.
The hospital's foundation and the Children's Hospital Foundation also supported the renaming, believing that a conventional name would attract more funding for medical research from international donors. An online poll conducted by the government indicated support for the name change, although there were allegations of potential vote manipulation.
The total cost of the name change was estimated to be up to $500,000, including the expense of modifying the hospital signage. The process of changing the name involved consultations with staff and the public, market research, and other associated expenses. The decision sparked a range of reactions, with some criticizing the cost as an unnecessary expense that could be better utilized for helping patients.
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Family opposition
The decision to rename the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane, Australia, was met with opposition from the Cilento family, who threatened an "all-out media campaign" against the government. Lady Cilento's son, David Cilento, called the decision "devastating", saying that there was "no worse way of permanently damaging a person's reputation than publicly expunging her name from a building". He added that Queenslanders should be appalled by the decision.
The family was contacted by a public servant with the news, and they were offered an alternative way of recognising Lady Cilento's contribution, such as naming an auditorium or an art prize after her. However, the family felt insulted by these suggestions, with David Cilento stating that the decision was destroying his mother's legacy.
The Cilento family's opposition was supported by some conservative politicians, including the LNP MP Jarrod Bleijie, who accused the government of "trashing the reputation of a pioneering woman". Campbell Newman, who led the Liberal National party government that originally chose the name in 2013, also opposed the change, calling it "bulldust" on Twitter.
The family left the door open to fighting the name change, and Lady Cilento's granddaughter stated that the decision was insulting.
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Frequently asked questions
The Lady Cilento Hospital in Brisbane, Australia, changed its name to Queensland Children's Hospital in 2018 after a petition signed by about 900 staff members. The petition was started due to the racist and homophobic views of Lady Cilento, whom the hospital was named after.
Phyllis Dorothy Cilento, born in 1894, was a doctor and medical journalist. She was the only woman in her graduating class at the University of Adelaide in 1919. She was also an early advocate for family planning and having fathers at the birth of their children.
Besides the staff's concerns about Lady Cilento's views, there was also confusion among the public about whether the hospital was a private or public facility. This misperception could potentially steer away patients and negatively impact research funding.
