A unique hospital

Mike McKillen (Letters, March 3) raises a pertinent question in relation to how and who will govern the new National Children’s Hospital.

Mr McKillen is wrong, however, when he states that all the potential adult teaching hospital sites identified in Dublin, bar St James, are Catholic Church-controlled. Tallaght Hospital is unique in this country as upholding the rights of patients to full and open information about everything that might affect their health with no religious, social, political or other pre-conditions. These rights are protected by the hospitals’ charter which was passed through the Houses of the Oireachtas prior to the hospital opening its doors. Tallaght Hospital stands alone in Ireland in the protection of these rights to their patients.

Triona Murphy