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North East children's hospital announces name

A new hospital has been named as The Great North Children’s Hospital, following a high-profile search for a title. The state-of-the-art centre will house all of the North East’s children health services.

The new name was decided after a fortnight of public voting, with thousands having their say. Celebrities such as Niall Quinn, Denise Welch and Emmerdale’s Charlie Hardwick have pledged their support to the campaign. Kevin Keegan announced the winning name at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle, where the £100m development is under construction.

Groups were formed and video messages posted on the social networking website Facebook, allowing members of the public to back their choice for the name. Other suggestions included Northern Lights Children’s Hospital, which came second in the race, and The Greenhouse Children’s Hospital. This name referred to the green copper exterior of the building, and the nature of the care offered.

Upon unveiling the name, Keegan said: “The Great North Children’s Hospital is the perfect choice for the name. It’s a great facility, staffed by great people and I know it will be of enormous benefit to so many families.”

It is hoped that the name will reflect the magnitude of the project, and its importance to the people of the North East. The hospital has facilities to house up to 245 children at a time.

Recent studies have shown that children now find hospitals more boring than they do scary, so the hospital’s aim is that its design will be untraditional and more suited to children’s needs. For example, the corridors of the hospital will be curved to eradicate the feeling of long, austere passages.

For more information on The Great North Children’s Hospital, please visit www.hospitalvote.co.uk/more.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .