Women’s only unit opens at The Alfred

12 September 2011

Women accessing services at The Alfred Hospital will feel safer and better supported in a newly refurbished ward catering exclusively to the needs of women.

Officially opening the ward, Mental Health Minister Mary Wooldridge toured the refurbished women's only unit and said the facility will provide women with a safe, private and secure area for treatment.

The Alfred is the first public hospital in Victoria to have a psychiatric ward refurbished as a women's only unit, with five dedicated beds, a living area and courtyard.

Ms Wooldridge said women can feel vulnerable in mixed gender areas, where there are typically more males than females, an inability to lock rooms or protect belongings, and limited privacy.

Research undertaken by the Victorian Women and Mental Health Network in 2006 found that more than 60 per cent of women in inpatient units experienced harassment or abuse.

"Women have the right to receive treatment and care, free from fear of victimisation, violence, sexual assault and retraumatisation," Ms Wooldridge said.

To improve the safety of women, $4 million has been provided to establish gender-specific spaces in existing mental health services.

The funding is for services that can demonstrate careful thinking, as exemplified by The Alfred, into how to make physical spaces safe and supportive of the needs of women.

Service Guideline for Gender Sensitivity and Safety

Ms Wooldridge also launched new guidelines to support gender-sensitive care for women, men and people who identify as transgender or intersex.

The Service Guideline for Gender Sensitivity and Safety represents another step towards a service system that is sensitive and responsive to the needs of people accessing services.

The guidelines are available to download from the department’s Mental Health website.