VPRS 19390 Victorian Cytology (Gynaecological) Service Minutes

This series comprises volumes recording meeting minutes of the Victorian Cytology (Gynaecological) Service of Prince Henry’s Hospital (previously known as Melbourne Homoeopathic Dispensary 1869-1876; Melbourne Homoeopathic Hospital 1876-1934) (VA 441). Since 1962, the Cytology Department at Prince Henry’s Hospital had been providing a diagnostic service for cancer. Other hospitals also made use of the service. In 1965, Prince Henry’s Hospital was selected to house the Victorian Cytology (Gynaecological) Service. The Service was formed to provide a cervical cancer detection service and was an autonomous body. Its objective was to receive smears from private medical practitioners and to issue a report thereon, free of charge. In 1969, an eight-storey building in conjunction with Monash University and the Victorian Cytology (Gynaecological) Service was completed. Subjects discussed in the minutes included, but are not limited to, provision of an equitable service in country base hospitals, by-laws, publicity, finance, equipment, salaries, operations of the Service, and staffing.