Ramsay Newsroom

The new Specialist Women’s Mental Health Service (SWMHS) will provide specialist care for those identifying as women with complex mental health conditions, including those who present during the perinatal period and those with eating disorders.

In announcing the SWMHS, Acting Victorian Premier and Minister for Mental Health James Merlino said the service will be delivered via a mix of hospital and home-based care through both Albert Road Clinic and Shepparton Private Hospital (both operated by Ramsay Health Care). 

“Seeking mental health care should make people feel at their safest – but for too long, too many women have feltunsafe or threatened while getting treatment. We’re putting an end to that with this Australian-first service,delivering sensitive, gender-specific care for women who need acute support,” Mr Merlino said.

If successful, this hub and spoke model could inform potential future sites across other regional locations.

The SWMHS is a partnership between Ramsay Health Care, The Alfred and Goulburn Valley Health, which will provide a statewide referral service for peoplerequiring specialised mental health care in a women-only environment.

Ramsay Health Care will provide 35 acute inpatient and home based mental health beds to deliver clinical treatment, care and support for public patients who would otherwise be treated in a public inpatient mental health unit.Albert Road Clinic will provide 24 beds plus six hospital-in-the-home beds, while Shepparton Private Hospital will have five beds (a flexible mix of inpatient and hospital-in-the-home beds). 

Albert Road Clinic CEO, Petra Glare, said: “This is an exciting time in the development and growth of mental health services in Victoria. We are pleased to be able to expand our services for Victorian women who are experiencing mental health issues. Thispartnership will allow our experienced team to support women in need at a time when demand for mental health services is higher than ever before.”

Shepparton Private Hospital CEO, Rhys Jones, said: “We are proud to be part of a partnership that addresses a key recommendation in Victoria’s Mental Health Royal Commission Interim Report. The Commission identified a need for separate treatment spaces for women and to ensure the safety and dignity of consumers, families, carers and workers in Victoria’s mental health system. This meaningful, Australian-first initiative is intended to be a holistic, wellness-focused service,” Mr Jones said.

Albert Road Clinic and Shepparton Private Hospital are operated by Australia’s largest private mental health service provider, Ramsay Health Care. 

Ramsay has a 57-year history of providing reliable, high-quality mental health support to more than 70,000 mental health patients each year.