VPRS 19120 Senior Medical Staff Divisions (Medicine, Surgery, Investigational Medicine), Minutes and Correspondence

This series comprises minutes, papers and correspondence relating to the Senior Medical Staff (SMS) Divisions of the Royal Melbourne Hospital (VA 1048).  The SMS consists of those medical staff with a senior appointment as Head of Unit. Historically these appointments were honorary until the 1970s and were often called Medical Officers in Charge of Departments or In-Patient Physicians and In-Patient Surgeons. In 1975, the SMS structure was reviewed, and three division were established: Medicine, Surgery, and Investigative Medicine. In 1995 the divisions were renamed to ‘Sections’. The SMS does not possess executive authority. The role of the SMS is to consider matters affecting the medical and dental services of the hospital, and to provide advice, recommendations, and reports to the Board. In particular the SMS provides advice regarding: quality, safety, education, research, medical staff issues and clinical services; implementation of various industrial instruments including Awards relevant to Medical Staff; strategic and operational matters; policy; and procedure. The SMS also provides representation and advocacy for the Medical Staff and co-ordinates Senior Medical Staff submissions to external bodies. This series contains records relating to the formation and development of the Divisions as well as the re-organisation of the divisions in later years. It also contains the minutes and papers of the divisions themselves. These are the only extant records of each division. Prior to transfer to Public Record Office Victoria, the records in this series were maintained as part of the Royal Melbourne Hospital Archives.