The Alfred

Providing leading healthcare for the people of Melbourne & Victoria. Alfred Health is a leading metropolitan health service in Melbourne, Australia.

For all the latest information about The Alfred and our visiting hours please visit www.alfredhealth.org.au/visitors We pride ourselves on giving our patients and our community the best possible health outcomes by integrating clinical practice with research and education. Alfred Health provides a comprehensive range of specialist services including Australia's busiest trauma centre. We also operate one the largest and most advanced intensive care units (ICU) in the southern hemisphere. Alfred Health offers almost ever form of medical treatment across our three locations at The Alfred, Caulfield Hospital and Sandringham Hospital. Recognised as a national leader in health care, Alfred Health has a commitment to biomedical research. We are also known for excellence in training for medical, nursing, allied health and other support staff. This is further enhanced through partnerships with Monash University, La Trobe University, and several internationally recognised medical research organisations such as the Burnet Institute.

17/11/2025

After 40 years of care for patients at The Alfred, Professor Denis Spelman, Deputy Head of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, is retiring.

In a career garnering countless awards, achievements and milestones, Prof Spelman said he is most proud to have been the co-founder and Head of Spleen Australia alongside the late Penny Jones (pictured right) and Dr Ian Woolley, which includes the Spleen Registry.

“In the early 2000s, I saw a patient who had come into the emergency department very unwell with severe sepsis,” Prof Spelman said.

“Despite our care, unfortunately she died. It turned out that she had her spleen removed eight years earlier, which was part of her treatment for lymphoma.

“As you may know, the spleen is an organ that helps to fight off infections, especially severe ones.

“Her death raised the question, ‘What can we do to prevent this from happening to others?’”

Spleen Australia was set up to ensure all registered patients would receive education about the risks of developing severe sepsis, and how to best prevent and manage it; as well as contributing research in the area.

With offices onsite at The Alfred, there are now more than 12,500 active patients from across the country registered with Spleen Australia.

“What makes me proud is Spleen Australia saves lives,” Prof Spelman said.

"We have since demonstrated those people who have lost their spleen and are registered with Spleen Australia have a lower mortality rate than those who are not registered; which means our work is making a difference.”

In retirement, Prof Spelman said he’s looking forward to spending more time with his children and grandchildren and catching up on reading.

“I must say it has been a great privilege to work at the Alfred since 1983 and to work with so many wonderful Alfred staff,” Prof Spelman said.

"My overriding feeling towards The Alfred and its staff is one of immense gratitude for employing me, for the opportunities that I have been given, and for the great friendships and support I have received throughout my time there.”

Thank you, Professor Spelman, for the lifesaving work you have done for the community. We wish you the best in retirement!

16/11/2025

For 55 year old Justin, who has metastatic melanoma, the possibility of having quicker, safer and higher precision scans to track the progress of his disease would be a game changer.

“Having had cancer now detected in my lung, bones and liver, scans will continue to be a part of my life - both to see eventually how my body has responded to treatment and to see if it pops up again,” Justin said.

Now, Victorian cancer patients will have access to one of the most advanced imaging technologies available globally, with The Alfred becoming the first public hospital in the state to install a total-body Quadra PET scanner – the fastest and most precise of its kind.

The scanner enables earlier detection of very small cancers, faster and safer scans, and real-time assessment of treatment progress, said Prof Mark Shackleton, Director Oncology at The Alfred.

“We’ll be able to see how a patient is responding to a particular treatment in near-real time, potentially adjusting their treatment as needed based on side effects the patient may not even know they’re experiencing yet,” Prof Shackleton said.

“It will also give us the ability to match therapies to individual tumour biology – a field known as theranostics – and significantly elevate what we can discover through clinical trials and research.”

For Justin, access to the Quadra gives him both hope and comfort.

“Being able to have the scan look at the entire body at once and with less radiation than a traditional PET is a huge improvement to the experience of people like me,” Justin said, pictured far right with Alfred Health Chief Executive, Adj. Prof Adam Horsburgh; Director Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Prof Meng Law; Prof Shackleton; and Minister for Health, the Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas MP, with the Quadra.

“And knowing this technology can pick up the tiniest change is going to take out so much of the unknown.”

Read more here: https://bit.ly/3K20qpw

11/11/2025

The Alfred community gathered today to mark Remembrance Day, with Major Francis Dignam, proud army reservist and recipient of the 2025 Prince of Wales Award, speaking powerfully about the collective nature of service.

“Service isn’t something I do alone,” said Major Dignam, who is also The Alfred’s Deputy Director of Operations and Nursing – Acute and Integrated Care for Home, Acute and Community, pictured second from left.

"And the importance of service extends beyond the individual and the family.
It lives within the communities we come from — especially in the workplaces
that make it possible."

"It also lives in the image of the generations of men and women who rallied, and in our shared responsibility to carry forward their legacy."

Following the service, attendees paid tribute to those who had lost their lives in battle, with the symbolic laying of their wreaths.

06/11/2025

We have fantastic Alfred Health representation at this year’s Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH) Forum, an event highlighting initiatives that advance a culturally responsive mental health system.

Emceeing the day’s series of presentations and panels is Lived Experience Participation Lead Tharindu Jayadeva, or TJ, who says he is excited by the breadth of research and knowledge that will be shared.

“The Forum is really about communities within the mental health system,” TJ said.

“This work is about ensuring that our communities, which include our consumers, carers and each other, are seen with dignity within these systems, that their humanity is recognised, leading them to access the care they need.”

More here: https://bit.ly/3WJJGX0

23/10/2025

Despite the rain, we had a full house for the celebration of new renovations at headspace Elsternwick, one of three centres run by Alfred Health.

Youth Advisory Committee members, peer workers, clinical and operational staff were joined by Alfred Health Chief Executive Adjunct Prof Adam Horsburgh, headspace COO Julia Smith, South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network CEO Quinn Pawson and Member for Macnamara Josh Burns MP, to mark the occasion.

The new refurb was done in consultation with the headspace Elsternwick’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC), a group of young people aged 16-25 who are passionate about mental health and represent the voices and perspectives of young people to the organisation.

YAC member Sophie McKenzie-Stripp said being in the new space, co-designed with the YAC, was “an amazing feeling”.

“We helped shape this headspace centre into a place that we as young people see ourselves reflected in,” she said.

“As part of the YAC, we connect with young people through school drop-ins, and we build our own community projects like the food pantry or the push-up challenge which we took around to schools.

“These new communal areas will help take away that isolating, shameful feeling that can come with seeking mental health support and will allow us to host so many activities for young people coming to the space.”

Alfred Chief Executive Adjunct Prof Adam Horsburgh congratulated all involved.

“The true value of these centres comes through providing a safe, welcoming environment where young people and their families can receive the guidance and support that they need,” Adjunct Prof Horsburgh said.

“Alfred Health is proud to be the lead agency of this centre, which fits with our purpose: to improve the lives of our patients and their families, and the communities that we serve.”

21/10/2025

The next time you catch yourself thinking about safe, efficient and high-quality patient care at Alfred Health, picture these happy faces.

Director of Pharmacy Prof Michael Dooley said despite playing a critical role in hospitals and healthcare, pharmacy technicians tend to be quiet achievers.

“Today is World Pharmacy Technician Day, which gives us the opportunity to highlight their expertise, care and dedication,” Prof Dooley said.

“They are essential and invaluable members of the team that usually work behind the scenes to ensure the safety and care of our patients.

“We can’t thank them enough.”

Happy World Pharmacy Technician Day to you all – and thank you for your professionalism, commitment, and ongoing contribution to exceptional patient care.

17/10/2025

To mark World Trauma Day, here’s an introduction to a few of the people behind the scenes at The Alfred!

Acting Director of Trauma Services Dr Simon Hendel, right, led the outliers team today, who saw around 20 patients of varying ages and backgrounds.

“It can be quite tough, but one of the great things about working in trauma is that most people get better,” Simon said.

“And with a great team working within a world class trauma system, we can get really good outcomes for people.

“As one of three trauma consultants on today, I'm responsible for all the patients who aren’t admitted to the main trauma ward and aren’t in ICU, which is about a third of the total patients admitted under the trauma unit.

“Maarja, who you can see behind me with the flower clip, is our Registrar.

“She’s on a path to becoming an emergency physician and supervises the day-to-day tasks of the round.

“Lisa, in the darker scrubs, is our trauma pharmacist, her role is invaluable on our team.

“She keeps track and manages each patient’s various medications, making sure they're consolidated appropriately and don’t interfere or interact negatively with each other.

“And Kelvin is our resident - a junior doctor not yet on specialist training.

“His job is to learn, and build on existing clinical skills, but he also takes care of important clerical aspects like adding information to medical records and ordering essential blood tests.

“While no one who comes here with a trauma injury is here by choice, our teams do the best we can to help them through the experience.”

16/10/2025

Lived experience, participants and a beloved Australian artist have come together to beautify the walls of the Women’s Recovery Network (Wren), the inpatient mental health clinic for women run by Alfred Health and Ramsay Health.

Lived Experience Consultant Maria Bradshaw said the idea to formally bring artwork to the clinic was inspired by an existing appreciation and engagement with art at Wren.

“We have art therapy groups and one-on-one artist sessions, and participants often decorate their rooms and communal spaces with their own work,” Maria said.

“So bringing them into the mural process was inevitable. It came from them.”

More here: https://bit.ly/3WCtgj4

15/10/2025

This week is National Carers Week (12-18 October), an opportunity to recognise, celebrate and raise awareness about the 3 million Australians who provide unpaid care to someone living with a disability, mental health condition, chronic illness, age-related condition or someone receiving palliative care.

At Alfred Health, our Carer Services team is highlighting our ‘double carers’, staff who balance their professional roles with an unpaid caring role for someone outside of work—such as an elderly parent, child with a disability, or partner with health needs.

These unpaid carers often juggle both worlds quietly, with little recognition or formal support. And it can have a significant impact: fatigue, emotional strain, and less time for self-care.

Sherene, a volunteer at Alfred Health and unpaid carer is part of our Carer Services team, providing insight, empathy and a lived experience focus to the team.

Previously working in IT in New Zealand, Sherene became a full-time carer for her daughter living with autism.

“She was about 2 when I became a full-time carer for her – she's 21 now, so I decided to make some time and give back to a service that has helped me throughout the years,” said Sherene.

“It’s a great opportunity for me as it gives me the flexibility I need to care for my daughter, and also means being back in an office, which I kind of missed.

“Being a full-time carer can be isolating, so it’s nice to be in this role and have a community around me in Caulfield Hospital.”

02/10/2025

Alfred Health’s Eating Disorders Intensive at Home Program and Ngamai Wilam, Victoria’s first publicly funded residential eating disorder treatment centre, have embraced a pioneering therapeutic approach from overseas.

The model, known as Open Dialogue, centres on mobilising a person’s trusted social network—friends, family, and loved ones—to support them through a mental health crisis.

Facilitated with a mental health clinician and a peer worker with lived experience, the approach empowers the individual to lead their own recovery journey by involving those that are important to them, and those that could be of help, in a series of ‘network’ meetings.

Together, with the support of the practitioners, the group aims to make sense of the current crisis and co-develop a plan to move forward, with the person’s needs and wishes remaining central throughout the process.

Today the potential of Open Dialogue was explored further at this year’s Australian Open Dialogue Symposium. Clinicians, researchers, and lived experience advocates gathered to discuss its future in Australia’s mental health landscape.

More here: https://bit.ly/4pVW9nW

25/09/2025

Between calls, we managed to catch Lead Pharmacist for Home, Acute and Community, Duy Le, to wish him a Happy World Pharmacists Day!

Duy’s team is currently working on a new initiative where pharmacy staff follow up with patients once they’ve returned home after a hospital stay.

“We check in to see how they’re managing their medications, as these often change during admission,” Duy said.

“We confirm they understand any changes, talk through how their medicines are working - including side effects and effectiveness - and provide advice or answer questions.

“We also make sure they’re linked in with any follow-up care they might need.

“This helps ensure the medicines we’ve prescribed are truly benefiting them and gives patients greater confidence in managing their treatment.”

Despite pharmacy being an essential part of both hospitals and the community, Duy said many people still wonder what pharmacists actually do.

“I saw an Insta reel where someone joked about what pharmacists could possibly be doing behind the counter after getting a prescription - which made me laugh,” Duy said.

“But the reality is, behind the counter we’re doing far more than people might realise.”

Read more here: https://bit.ly/4mAkHQi

22/09/2025

Did you catch our PARTY program on the news this weekend? Led by Emergency Nurse Sue Smith, the Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth (PARTY) program connects with young people, helping them understand the consequences of risk taking behaviours, as well as giving them a backstage pass to one of the country's busiest hospitals.

Address

55 Commercial Road Melbourne
South Yarra, VIC
3004

Website

https://www.alfredhealth.org.au/the-alfred

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Our Story

The Alfred is a leading metropolitan health service in Melbourne, Australia. We pride ourselves on giving our patients and our community the best possible health outcomes by integrating clinical practice with research and education. The Alfred provides a comprehensive range of specialist services and we’re home to Australia's busiest trauma centre, treating major trauma patients from across the state. We also operate one the largest and most advanced intensive care units (ICU) in the southern hemisphere.

Patients come to The Alfred for specialty services like comprehensive cancer care, respiratory medicine, cardiology and cardiovascular services. We run 14 statewide services including burns, heart and lung transplant, melanoma, HIV, psychiatry intensive care, bariatric and more. We are the only hospital in Australia to perform paediatric lung transplants. Recognised as a national leader in health care, The Alfred has a commitment to biomedical research. This is made possible through strong partnerships with Monash University, La Trobe University, and several internationally recognised medical research organisations such as the Burnet Institute.