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The Royal Melbourne Hospital

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We monitor this page Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, excluding public holidays and weekends. For immediate enquiries, please call our Switchboard on 03 9342 7000. We encourage feedback and engagement on our social media channels, and as such we expect community members to treat each other with respect and courtesy. These standards apply to inter

action within all Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) social media channels. By interacting on the RMH’s social media channels you understand and agree the RMH has ultimate control over all its online services. The RMH may edit, remove or exercise its discretion not to publish your contribution for legal, editorial or operational reasons including if the RMH considers it to be:

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- deliberate provocation of other community members; or
- impersonating someone else and/or posting on behalf of a suspended member. If you breach these Terms of Use, the RMH may block your account or contributions and report your breach to the relevant social media company. The RMH values the role of its communities in guiding content standards and etiquette among members. If you have concerns about inappropriate content on the RMH’s social media channels, please get in touch with the moderator.

17/06/2026

Meet Paige, a proud Trawlwoolway woman whose ancestors are from Flinders Island, off the northeastern coast of Tasmania.

Paige is a Registered Nurse and an Aboriginal Patient Navigator with the RMH’s First Nations Health Unit.

She supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients through lung and breast cancer screening, providing cultural and clinical advocacy at every step of their journey.

"I fell in love with cancer nursing and wanted to find a way to bring my passion for cancer nursing and my passion for caring for mob together," Paige says.

For Paige, culturally safe care starts with listening.

"Culturally safe care is individual, because what is culturally safe to one person is going to be different to someone else,” she says.

“It's about being inquisitive in the right way and asking patients what they need."

When patients feel safe, understood and supported, they get better care - and that's good for everyone!

🔗 Read more about the First Nations Health Unit: https://f.mtr.cool/gkukmlmmjz

16/06/2026

Dorothy and Charles were married for 37 years, enjoying travelling during their retirement and caring for their grandchildren.

Sadly, Charles passed away in 2024, four years after his diagnosis of Lewy Body dementia: a disease which has no cure.

Dementia is now the leading cause of death in Australia, with thousands of families grappling with the impacts of dementia and searching for answers.

Our vision for a world-leading Dementia Centre at the RMH will bring diagnosis, care, treatments, and support together in one place, with a dedicated navigator so no family has to face dementia alone.

“I think the RMH is the best hospital in Melbourne,” says Dorothy, “But a more coordinated system specifically designed for dementia patients and carers would be a game-changer.”

Help us support the growing number of families like Dorothy’s who are facing the challenges of dementia.

Make your tax-deductible donation to the RMH Foundation today, and help launch the next era of dementia care: https://f.mtr.cool/etkpkzfrws

15/06/2026

On this day, 48 years ago, Peter's life changed forever.

At 17 years old, on 15 June 1978, Peter was admitted to the RMH after a devastating motorbike accident, suffering multiple life-threatening injuries, including a collapsed lung, torn aorta and severe cardiac trauma.

Last month, Peter and his wife Sandra reunited with former Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Director Jack Cade (far right), who cared for him during his 30-day stay, and met current ICU Director Chris MacIsaac (far left).

Peter reflected on his life since:

"I learned to write and speak again, I went back to finish my apprenticeship, I married, bought a house, and had two beautiful girls. I have grandkids, I've travelled, and I'm growing old with the love of my life. I'm a builder, and I've built a lot of things of which I'm very proud, as have you all. I rebuild houses, but you rebuild lives."

The ICU team found the original admission book, where Peter was recorded as one of the first few thousand patients in ICU. The RMH ICU opened in April 1972 and has cared for 88,200 patients in its 54-year history.

It was fantastic to see Peter doing well after all these years!

Read Peter’s 'Love Letter to the Royal Melbourne Hospital' here: https://f.mtr.cool/nqjynhsmmq

12/06/2026

👁️ I spy with my little eye… a haemorrhage and an eye stroke.

Congratulations to Medical Photographers Amanda Rebbechi and Joss Dimock, whose retinal images have been selected for the ZEISS 2026 Calendar after being recognised as finalists in the ZEISS ANZ Capture with CLARUS 'WOW' competition!

Two of only twelve images selected nationally came from the RMH. A fantastic achievement for our Medical Photography Studio.

"Ophthalmology is a very visual sub-speciality and photos and pattern recognition are integral to the diagnosis for our patients.", said Head of Ophthalmology A/Prof Elaine.

🔗 Learn more about Ophthalmology at the RMH: https://f.mtr.cool/uzcgvfimwq

10/06/2026

“Since my 20s, I did every test under the absolute sun,” Lauren recalls.

At one point, doctors thought she had Multiple Sclerosis.

It was only after a severe attack and a stay in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) that Lauren’s metabolic disorder was identified by the lab at the RMH as Acute Intermittent Porphyria (AIP).

“Broadly, patients can experience symptoms including severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, headaches, nerve damage, seizures, and occasionally it can be fatal,” Associate Professor Gayle Ross, Head of Dermatology Research at the RMH, says.

Lauren describes the moment she was referred to the RMH Porphyria Expert Centre as life-changing. “Since starting to manage my AIP symptoms, I'm gradually doing more and more in life”, she said.

“I've got two kids; I’m being a full-time productive parent, and I am able to do more, like help my partner and his business as time goes on.”

Two weeks ago, Lauren started a new treatment that was previously tested in research trials at the RMH between 2017 and 2021. The new treatment will help manage her acute symptoms, helping her get back to doing what she loves most.

Read Lauren’s story: https://f.mtr.cool/zizmxdzxws

09/06/2026

Autoimmune diseases are often thought of as the immune system going into overdrive. But new research suggests the story may be more complex.

Researchers at the Snow Centre for Immune Health - a partnership between WEHI, The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Snow Medical - have discovered subtle but consistent differences in how immune cells behave in people with coeliac disease.

These findings could help pave the way for:

🔹Earlier diagnosis
🔹More personalised care
🔹Better long‑term outcomes

While still at an early stage, this work opens a promising path toward understanding – and potentially predicting – autoimmune disease before it begins.

To learn more visit: https://www.wehi.edu.au/news/researchers-uncover-hidden-defects-in-immune-cells-linked-to-coeliac-disease/

08/06/2026

Transport to the Royal Melbourne Hospital used to look very different!🐴

This picture, taken in 1904, shows a patient arriving at the RMH in a St John Ambulance Australia horse-drawn ambulance!

These days, we receive patients via state-of-the-art road and air ambulance, including the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service operated by Ambulance Victoria . In 2024/25 alone, we welcomed 461 air arrivals! 🚁

Discover more about our history: https://f.mtr.cool/mpydldcmvx

07/06/2026

Today, the Minister for Health Harriet Shing MP Harriet Shing visited our Digital Coordination Centre (DCC) and Emergency Department to see firsthand how new capacity management roles, delivered in partnership with Ambulance Victoria, are helping improve emergency access and patient flow.

With Ambulance Victoria paramedics now embedded within our DCC, real-time ambulance and emergency department data is being used to better connect patients with the emergency departments best placed to provide timely care and support.

This is being delivered through the Virtual Hospital Pilot program, which we deliver in partnership with Austin Health.

We were also pleased to welcome Minister Shing to meet our dedicated Food Services team, who prepare and deliver approximately 766,000 patient meals each year, playing a vital role in the care and recovery of our patients.

Thank you, Minister Shing, for taking the time to visit and learn more about the innovative and essential work taking place across our health service.

06/06/2026

Did you know the RMH is Victoria’s quarantine hospital for infectious diseases?

Last week, our teams, together with colleagues at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity , jumped into action to test and treat a suspected case of Ebola.

Thankfully, it was a false alarm. But it gave our people an opportunity to put their training into action and ensure we are prepared.

Our response involves rigorous infection prevention to contain any potential spread and the use of a specialised negative-pressure room in the RMH’s intensive care unit, which allows staff to safely treat a patient while minimising their own risk of infection.

Testing is completed in a special lab at the Doherty, run by Dr Katherine Bond.

"The laboratory is especially designed to keep people outside the laboratory safe from the infection”, Dr Bond said.

“Systems were tested and, after lots of planning and preparation, it all paid off in the sense that we were able to provide the patient safe care and keep our staff safe,” Director of the RMH ICU, A/Prof Christopher MacIsaac said.

An outbreak of Ebola has been detected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda; travellers returning from these affected regions should monitor WHO advisories and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms develop post-travel.

Address

300 Grattan Street
Parkville, VIC
3052

Telephone

+61393427000

Website

https://www.thermh.org.au/

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