Warning about distressing information
This guide contains information that some people may find distressing. If you experienced abuse as a child or young person in an institution mentioned in this guide, it may be a difficult reading experience. Guides may also contain references to previous views, policies and practices that are regrettable and do not reflect the current views, policies or practices of the department or the State of Victoria. If you find this content distressing, please consult with a support person either from the Department of Health and Human Services or another agency.
Disclaimer
Please note that the content of this administrative history is provided for general information only and does not purport to be comprehensive. The department does not guarantee the accuracy of this administrative history. For more information on the history of child welfare in Australia, see Find & .
List of records held by the department
For information relating to the central management of care leavers and wards of state, please consult the guide to Central department wardship and out-of-home care records. These collections date back to the 1860s and include ward registers, index cards and ward files.
Patient information
PLEASE NOTE: Patients could be admitted to a Receiving House for short-term treatment and care, but were not permitted to remain longer than two months.
Patients still needing treatment after two months could be sent to a Psychiatric Hospital, in the same institution/complex or another. Hence, there could be more than one set of records for any one person. Please check each location for former patient records.
Admission and discharge record cards (1968-94)
Card; Permanent (Unappraised)
Content: These cards document the admission of patients to the Donald Hossack Unit. Information includes patient’s name, file number, admission and discharge dates and diagnosis. Sometimes the ward or hospital from where the patient was referred or admitted is noted.
Because of the inclusion of the file numbers on these cards, they can also be used as an index to the Donald Hossack Unit case history files (see entries below):
- day patient case histories,1985–1989
- inpatient case histories, 1972–1994
- deceased patient case histories, 1972–1994
The cards are arranged alphabetically by patient name. Following the main sequence of cards (day patient and inpatients) there is a small additional sequence of cards identified as relating to deceased patients.
Day patients case histories (1985-89)
File; Temporary
Content: These records are case history files of patients who attended the Donald Hossack Unit for one-day admissions only. The records document patients’ treatment and progress and may include admission and discharge forms, personal details, diagnosis, nursing notes, medical history, medication records, pathology reports, correspondence and so on.
These records end in 1989, suggesting that the distinction between the day cases and longer-term patients ceased at that time (see inpatient case histories below.) The files are arranged in numerical order by single-number file number. They are controlled by the admission and discharge index cards (see above.)
Inpatient case histories (1972-94)
File; Temporary
Content: These records are case history files of inpatients who were admitted to the Donald Hossack Unit. The files relate to patients admitted to the unit for periods of more than one day and, from 1989, day-patient files are also included.
The records document patients’ treatment and progress and may include admission and discharge forms, personal details, diagnosis, nursing notes, medical history, medication records, pathology reports, and correspondence.
The files are arranged in numerical order by single-number file number. They are controlled by the admission and discharge record cards (see above).
For day-patient case histories dated up to 1989 see collection reference above.
Deceased patient case histories (1972-94)
File; Temporary
Content: These records are case histories of deceased patients who had been day patients or admitted to the Donald Hossack Unit. These files covered the period 1972 to 1994. This collection was originally part of the general patient filing system and is related to the day patient case histories and the inpatient case histories.
The records document patients’ treatment and progress and may include admission and discharge forms, personal details, diagnosis, nursing notes, medical history, medication records, pathology reports and correspondence.
The files are arranged in numerical order by single-number file number. They are controlled by a sequence of cards relating to deceased patients that is part of the admission and discharge record cards collection (see above).
Outpatient registers and operation books (1978-94)
Volume; Temporary
Content: The outpatient registers document all patient consultations at the Donald Hossack Unit (DHU). Specialists at the DHU included a gynaecologist, dermatologist, general practitioner, podiatrist and chiropodist.
The operations books document and summarise surgical operations performed at the DHU. Details include date of operation, patient name, ward, type of operation and comments.
The original archives accession register describes a variety of volumes under the following headings:
- consultant physician's register
- dermatology register
- ECT register
- gynaecology register
- medical outpatients register
- minor procedures register
- surgical outpatients register
- urology register
- waiting list
- ear, nose and throat outpatients
- operation record book.
Medical/surgical file number register (1972-94)
Volume; Temporary
Content: this record is a register of case history file numbers. It registers the creation of patient case history files and the allocation of file numbers.
It registers files numbered in a single-number sequence in the range 1 to 3084. The files registered in the register are in one of three separate collections:
- patient case histories
- patient case histories, day patients
- patient case histories, deceased patients.
Entries in the register are in numerical order.
The admission and discharge index cards can be used to provide access to individual patient histories in the above three collections and to entries in this register.
X-rays (1972-94)
X-ray negatives; Temporary
Content: These records were created to investigate and diagnose the condition of patients consulting the general practitioner at the Donald Hossack Unit
The records were destroyed in 2001.
Departmental administration
Administrative records (1971-92)
File and volume; Temporary and Permanent (Unappraised)
Content: These records document the administrative functions of the Donald Hossack Unit. Contents include patient admission books and patient correspondence files as well as committee minutes which provide insight into policy formulation and implementation.
Temporary records (1982-94)
File and volume; Temporary
Content: These records comprise administrative records from the Donald Hossack Unit. Contents include
- requisitions
- invoices
- staff and patient returns
- cash books
- indemnity books
- patient property books
- staff attendance records
- visitors books
- drugs of addiction registers and administration books.
Reviewed 26 August 2016