Sir, – Given the congested location and difficulty of access to the new children's hospital, that melancholy song of lost opportunities By the Time I Get to Phoenix makes an ideal anthem for the long-awaited facility. – Yours, etc,
Dr JOHN DOHERTY,
Gaoth Dobhair,
Co Dhún na nGall.
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Sir, – I am pondering the type of discussion that might take place these days if a new maternity hospital was opened and it was called “The Rotunda”. – Yours, etc,
NIGEL SWAN,
Naas,
Co Kildare.
Sir, – As a doctor who has worked in St James’s Hospital as a consultant physician for over 30 years and who is delighted to see the new national children’s hospital “rise from the ashes”, I can understand the Freudian predisposition to call the hospital after the mythical bird but to go ahead and to call it after the phoenix is a gross error of judgement.
Confusion with the Phoenix Park is potentially the biggest problem for those travelling from the country.
Confusion with Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Arizona is not as big a problem.
People will still call it “James’s” and use “Tallaght” and “Blanchardstown” for the outlying emergency units in the same way as the Royal City of Dublin Hospital was called “Baggot Street” and the Adelaide, Meath and National Children’s Hospital is just called Tallaght hospital. – Yours, etc,
J BERNARD WALSH,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.