The Alfred Hospital, also known as The Alfred or Alfred Hospital, is a leading

tertiary Tertiary ( ) is a widely used but obsolete term for the geologic period from 66 million to 2.6 million years ago. The period began with the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, at the start ...

teaching hospital A teaching hospital is a hospital or medical centre that provides medical education and training to future and current health professionals. Teaching hospitals are almost always affiliated with one or more universities and are often co-located ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

, Victoria. It is the second oldest hospital in Victoria, and the oldest

hospital still operating on its original site. The Alfred is one of two major adult trauma centres in Victoria, and houses the largest intensive care unit in Australia. In 2021 it was ranked as one of the world's best hospitals. It is located at the corner of Commercial and Punt Roads, Prahran, opposite

Fawkner Park Fawkner Park is a popular park in Melbourne's South Yarra and part of the City of Melbourne. It provides recreational areas for teams playing Cricket, Softball, Soccer, Australian Rules Football, Tennis and Rugby. History and layout The ...

. The Alfred Hospital is managed by Alfred Health along with Caulfield Hospital and Sandringham Hospital.

History

Moves were already underway to establish a second hospital when Prince Alfred,

Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Edinburgh, named after the city of Edinburgh in Scotland, was a substantive title that has been created three times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not prod ...

, in Australia on a royal visit, was shot in an unsuccessful assassination attempt. The new "Hospital by the Yarra" (as well as Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital) was named for him. It was founded in 1871. In 1957, The Alfred was the first hospital in Australia to place a patient on

cardiopulmonary bypass Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is a technique in which a machine temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs during surgery, maintaining the circulation of blood and oxygen to the body. The CPB pump itself is often referred to as a ...

to treat complex cardiac lesions. It is a major teaching hospital affiliated with

Monash University Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has ...

Services

The Alfred Hospital provides specialty services in the treatment of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...

psychiatry Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psychiatry. Initial p ...

, and allergies, in

cardiology Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular h ...

, and in

neurosurgery Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty concerned with the surgical treatment of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord and pe ...

; houses the largest

intensive care unit 220px, Intensive care unit An intensive care unit (ICU), also known as an intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU) or critical care unit (CCU), is a special department of a hospital or health care facility that provides intensi ...

in Australia; and contains many unique state health facilities, including adult cystic fibrosis services and the only adult burns centre in Victoria and Tasmania. It has always been a leader in offering new treatments and services. The Alfred is Victoria's only Adult Heart and Lung transplantation service and Australia's only Paediatric Lung transplantation service. The hospital is administered by the Metropolitan Health Service Alfred Health. In addition to being one of the two major trauma centres in Victoria, The Alfred has a helipad, located over Commercial Road. The Alfred also benefits from collaboration with the Alfred Research Alliance, a consortium of medical research institutions located onsite.

Specialty units

Some of the specialty units within The Alfred Hospital include: *Adult

Cystic Fibrosis Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine. Long-term issues include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus as a result of frequent lung infections. Ot ...

Unit *Allergy, Asthma and

Clinical Immunology Immunology is a branch of medicineImmunology for Medical Students, Roderick Nairn, Matthew Helbert, Mosby, 2007 and biology that covers the medical study of immune systems in humans, animals, plants and sapient species. In such we can see there ...

– unique in Australia *Helen Macpherson Smith

Burns Unit A burn center, burn unit, or burns unit is a hospital specializing in the treatment of burns. Burn centers are often used for the treatment and recovery of patients with more severe burns. Overview The severity of a burn, and therefore whethe ...

– unique in Victoria *

Infectious Diseases An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable di ...

Unit – includes state HIV/

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ma ...

service * Lung Transplant Unit – second largest in the world *

Psychiatry Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psychiatry. Initial p ...

Unit accommodating 60 acute inpatients, including two APICSS (Alfred Psychiatry Intensive Care Statewide Service) beds *State Major Trauma Service – including road trauma centre *The Heart Centre –

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level o ...

Centre for Research and Training *Largest Mechanical Circulatory Support Service in Australasia (Ventricular Assist Devices) *Largest Adult ECMO centre in Australia *Largest

Hyperbaric Hyperbaric medicine is medical treatment in which an ambient pressure greater than sea level atmospheric pressure is a necessary component. The treatment comprises hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), the medical use of oxygen at an ambient pressure ...

unit in the Southern hemisphere *William Buckland Radiotherapy Centre – Specialists in Brachytherapy, Stereotactic Radiosurgery and General External Beam Therapy.

Associated facilities

* Deakin University's Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alfred Hospital, The Hospitals in Melbourne Medical schools in Australia Teaching hospitals in Australia Hospitals established in 1871 1871 establishments in Australia Science and technology in Melbourne Buildings and structures in the City of Melbourne (LGA)

History

Services

Specialty units

Associated facilities

See also

Further reading

References