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advocacy for improvements to women's health

Advocacy for Improvements to Women's Health

For 150 years, the Royal Women's Hospital has led the advocacy and advancement of women's health care.

Established in 1856 as 'The Melbourne Lying-in Hosptial and Infirmary for Diseases of Women and Children'; our hospital began as a place where 'under-privileged women' could give birth to their babies and receive medical attention and nursing.

The Women's is a unique health service that has been shaped over time by women's voices. During recent years, we have initiated a number of major awareness campagins to advocate for improvements to women's health and well-being.

The Royal Women’s Hospital (the Women’s) is the major provider of health and wellbeing services to women in Victoria. The Women’s delivers a broad range of clinical care and social support services to a diverse and often disadvantaged population.

The efficacy of these interventions is often dependent on the wider social and economic circumstances that impinge on women’s capacity to care for themselves and their families. As a result, our Strategic Plan includes a commitment to providing expert opinion to influence policy development and raising awareness of the effect of gender on health and health inequalities.

Below is a list of submissions to government inquiries:

Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee Inquiry Into Therapeutic Goods Amendment (Repeal of Ministerial Responsibility for Approval of RU486) Bill 2005 (January 2006)

Joint submission with Family Planning Victoria to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee Inquiry Into Therapeutic Goods Amendment (Repeal of Ministerial Responsibility for Approval of RU486) Bill 2005 (January 2006)

Submission to the Senate Inquiry into Gynaecological Health (June 2006)

Submission to the Senate Inquiry Transparent Advertising and Notification of Pregnancy Counselling Services Bill 2005 (June 2006)

Submission to the House Standing Committee On Health and Ageing’s Inquiry Into Breastfeeding (April 2007)

Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Committee Inquiry into the Operation and Effectiveness of Patient Assisted Travel Schemes (PATS) (June 2007)

Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Inquiry into Mental Health Services In Australia (August 2007)

Medical abortion and RU486 (Mifepristone)

International evidence supports non-surgical (medical) abortion as a safe alternative to surgical abortion. The Women's developed submissions for a recent Senate inquiry on the debate to remove legislative barriers to mifepristone (RU486).

Mifepristone can now be considered by the Therapeutic Goods Administration in the same manner as all other drugs. Clinicians at our hospital recently received TGA approval to prescribe mefipristone for the provision of medical abortion.