Founded in 1856 as a place where disadvantaged women could give birth safely and receive proper medical care, the Royal Women’s Hospital is among the oldest and most distinguished women’s hospitals in the world.
The Women’s continues to lead the way in women’s and newborn healthcare – delivering specialist maternity, neonatal, gynaecology, oncology, reproductive and sexual health services to women in Melbourne, as well as those with complex needs from across Victoria and Australia.
We are a leader and advocate in areas of women’s health that have long been overlooked or stigmatised, including abortion, endometriosis, family violence, female genital mutilation, menopause, mental health disorders, sexual assault and substance use in pregnancy.
As a state-wide tertiary hospital, we are a significant provider of education and help train the next generation of highly-skilled midwives, nurses, obstetricians, neonatologists and other specialists. Expert training also extends into communities with programs delivered to local hospitals and primary health care services across the state.
Internationally, we are recognised for our clinical expertise and excellence in research. Our 10 research centres explore the full spectrum of women’s and newborn health. From pioneering IVF technology leading to Australia’s first IVF baby in 1980, to advances in newborn medicine, increased survival rates for sick and premature babies and improved outcomes for women with cancer – the Women’s is committed to improving the lives of this generation and the next.
For more than 160 years, the Women’s has built its reputation as one of Australia’s most loved and trusted public hospitals by providing exceptional patient care and advocating for better health outcomes for women and girls.
Each year, we provide 250,000 episodes of care and deliver more than 9,000 babies. As a tertiary hospital specialising in complex pregnancies, we care for more than 2,000 babies in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) annually. With our patients originating from 190 countries, speaking 90 different languages and following 70 different religious faiths, we support families and individuals from all backgrounds and abilities and we welcome cultural, religious, sexual and gender diversity.
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Governance and structureThe Women's is governed by the hospital’s Board, under the provisions of the Health Services Act 1988, and is led by the organisation’s Executive Team.
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Corporate publicationsWe produce a suite of corporate publications, including Annual Reports, Research Reports and Quality Accounts providing the community with insight into our services, performance and achievements.
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CommunityThe Women’s works with the community and is committed to several important initiatives including our Reconciliation Action Plan and Disability Action Plan.
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AdvocacyOur advocacy activities aim to advance social change by working productively with governments, policy makers, leaders, funders and the broader community, and challenging social norms and attitudes that reinforce women’s poor health outcomes
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Our historyThe Royal Women’s Hospital, Australia’s first public women’s hospital, was established in Melbourne in August 1856 and is among the oldest and most distinguished of its kind in the world today.
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International Women’s Day Learn more