VPRS 19271 Medical Superintendent's Reports

Full description

This series comprises fortnightly reports by the Medical Superintendent of the Royal Melbourne Hospital, which encompass operational issues affecting medical staff, medical practice, and patient care.

From 1881 the senior medical position at the Royal Melbourne Hospital was known as the Medical Superintendent. It was usually a position held by a senior Resident Medical Officer for two or three years. From the mid-1940s, the role became more of an executive position with longer tenure and greater responsibilities including clinical governance and the administration of clinical units.

It is unclear how many superintendent reports were written or what, if any, requirements the superintendent had for writing these reports. The reports are largely handwritten and addressed to “Gentlemen”; it is likely they were written to the Hospital’s Board of Management or executive equivalent.