The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) has been providing outstanding care for Victoria's children and their families for 150 years.

We are the major specialist paediatric hospital in Victoria and our care extends to children from Tasmania, southern New South Wales and other states around Australia and overseas.

With a passionate, highly skilled and committed staff campus wide of close to 4,000, we provide a full range of clinical services, tertiary care and health promotion and prevention programs for children and young people.

We are the designated state-wide major trauma centre for paediatrics in Victoria and a Nationally Funded Centre for cardiac and liver transplantation.

When it comes to training and research we partner with the very best. Our campus partners, the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI) and The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics, along with the RCH Foundation, are on site with the hospital in Parkville. Together, we are committed to improving the health outcomes for children today and in the future.

The RCH is a key member of the Victorian Paediatric Clinical Network, working to implement the Department of Health Strategic Framework for Paediatric Health Services in Victoria (2009).

The RCH actively contributes to the implementation of Victoria's Cancer Action Plan 2008-11 through membership of the Paediatric Integrated Cancer Service (PICS) and the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (Victorian CCC).

The RCH also leads a number of state-wide services, including:

Victorian Paediatric Rehabilitation Service (with Southern Health, Bendigo Health, Eastern Health and Barwon Health): delivering paediatric rehabilitation services to children, adolescents and their families.
Victorian Paediatric Palliative Care Program (with Southern Health and Very Special Kids): providing a multidisciplinary approach to palliative care for children across Victoria.
Victorian Forensic Paediatric Medical Service (with Southern Health and Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine): providing assessment and care for abused, assaulted and neglected children and adolescents.
Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program: conducting hearing screenings of newborn babies while they are in hospital. The delivery of this service involves working with diagnostic audiology and early intervention services from across Victoria, Australian Hearing, Cochlear Implant Clinic, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, The University of Melbourne School of Audiology and Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
The RCH has always held a special place in the hearts of all Victorians and in 2010, as testament to our leadership and advocacy role, the RCH was awarded the prestigious Committee for Melbourne 2010 Melbourne Achiever Award, for outstanding contributions to the Melbourne community. Our volunteers were awarded both individual and team awards at this year's Minister for Health Volunteer Awards and the team that successfully separated conjoined twins Krishna and Trishna was recognised with the prestigious RSL ANZAC of the Year Award.

The Royal Children's Hospital is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. Click here for further information on our commitment to child safety.

About the new RCH project
The new Royal Children's Hospital opened in 2011 right next door to the old site in Parkville, Victoria. It has been purpose built for children and the way we care for them today and into the future.

The new hospital campus brings together six levels of clinical, research and education facilities over 200,000 square metres within the 4.1 hectare site. Inspired by the quality of light, the textures and forms of its parkland setting, the new RCH delivers a patient and family focused healing environment based on the latest evidence and research-based design principles.

The new RCH is:

more comfortable for sick children, their families and carers, and staff
surrounded by parkland with great views and lots of natural light
friendly to the environment
family-centred including improved accommodation and facilities for parents
a fun, child-friendly place with lots of interactive indoor and outdoor play areas
easier for families and visitors to find their way around
Other features include:

more single bed rooms, newborn cots and operating theatres
eighty per cent of all patient rooms have views of the park and the building is oriented towards the north, making good use of natural light
a 2,000 space underground car park (almost twice the existing number), not to mention 500 spaces for bikes
additional shops, cafes and other amenities for patients, their families and staff