Starship's name browns off health boss

By FRAN O'SULLIVAN

What's in a name?

Everything, says Auckland's new health broom, Wayne Brown, who wants to give the country's premier children's hospital - the Starship - a new title, the "Auckland Sick Children's Hospital".

Mr Brown, who chairs the Auckland District Health Board, which owns the Starship, reckons changing the name would strip away some of the mystique about hospitals.

If first-class children's hospitals such as Toronto's Sick Children's Hospital can get directly to the point, why not Auckland?

The founders named it the Starship to "appeal to children". It reflected the building's design and was chosen "in the hope that children would think of it as an interesting place to go", says its website.

But Mr Brown reckons children would be better off if they did not think "it was a great idea to end up in hospital". He also reckons their parents would be better focused on keeping their children healthy if the alternative was going to a "sick children's hospital".

It would also help his board get a better public focus on the severe problems at primary health level among children within its catchment area, Auckland City.

nzherald.co.nz/hospitals