The Royal Women’s Hospital archives department manages the historical record and artefact collection dating from the hospital’s foundation in 1856 to the very recent past.
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It is primarily an archival collection, with early medical records forming a major part. Administrative records, such as Minutes of the Board of Management and various committees which date from the 1880s to 2004 are also held.
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Photographs, ephemera and objects which illustrate the institution’s activities and personnel are also collected.
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The hospital is extraordinarily fortunate to still hold a large proportion of its earliest patient records, which is now recognised as one of the major collections of obstetric and gynaecological records in the world. No other institution in Australia can match the age and depth of information to be found in these records.
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To discover what is held in the archives, visit the General Guide to the Archives. For detailed descriptions and scanned pages of patient records, access the Guide to Patient Records. More record series will be added over time.
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Access to records and information
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Victorian legislation protecting the privacy of health records restricts the public availability of patient records.
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The Women's has chosen to scan and reproduce records of patients who were treated at the hospital more than 100 years ago. Those records can be viewed from the Guide to Patient Records.
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However access can be granted to patients and to the next of kin, or descendants of deceased patients, on production of satisfactory evidence of identity.
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More information, including relevant charges and application forms is available from our health records site. Application forms can also be downloaded below.
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All requests must be received in writing and must include appropriate identification.
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Additions to the collection
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In order to expand our knowledge of the hospital’s personnel and activities, we would be pleased to hear from former staff, patients or their descendants.
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The Archives department collects material directly related to the hospital and the practice of obstetrics, gynaecology, paediatrics and other related disciplines.
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