A Brief History of the Victorian Forensic Paediatric Medical Service (VFPMS)

Victoria has been in a unique position during the last 40 years, benefiting from the shared expertise of paediatricians and forensic physicians to evaluate abused, injured and neglected children. Since brothers Birrell, one a paediatrician and the other a police surgeon, published their seminal work on hospitalized abused children in 1966, we have effectively used the knowledge and skills of both groups of medical professionals to serve Victoria’s children and the needs of statutory agencies.

Several inquiries including the Brown report, the Steering Committee into Paediatric Forensic Medicine and the Ministerial Inquiry into Paediatric Forensic Medicine led to increased recognition of the possible benefits to be obtained should Victoria coordinate all forensic paediatric medical services and integrate these services within mainstream paediatric health services. The establishment of Health Services for Abused Victorian Children advisory group strengthened resolve to improve data collection and progress plans for creation of an integrated, coordinated service.

In 2002 doctors who for ten years had been meeting regularly for peer review formalized their association with a Memorandum of Understanding and formed the Melbourne Paediatric Forensic Medical Group (MFPMG). This MOU created a unifying agreement between the three service providers in Melbourne: Monash Medical Centre, Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine and the Royal Children’s Hospital.

A working party was formed in 2004 to look at funding and service options. In November 2005 the Premier announced funding of $6.4 million over four years to redevelop the forensic paediatric medial services A steering group with representation from the Department of Human Services, Victoria Police, the  Royal Children's Hospital, Monash Medical Centre and Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine was formed to develop and implement the service model.

The new service commenced in July 2006 with three service providers working together to coordinate forensic paediatric medical services statewide. The service is governed by a coordinating group with representation from the Department of Human Services, Victoria Police, Monash Medical Centre, the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine and the Royal Children’s Hospital.