| About VIDS |
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The Victorian Infectious Disease Service (VIDS)
The Victorian Infectious Disease Service (VIDS) is a major element in Melbourne Health's activities in local and statewide services for Infectious Diseases. Other important elements are the Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory (VIDRL) - including its expanded role as the regional centre for influenza-VICNISS (the Victorian state Coordinating Centre for Surveillance of Hospital Acquired Infections, the Microbiology Department at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Infection Prevention Services (IPSS) at The Royal Melbourne Hospital.
In February 1997, with the closure of Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital, the non-HIV activities of the Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital were transferred to The Royal Melbourne Hospital, as the Victorian Infectious Diseases Service. At the time of this transfer, medical and nursing staff from Fairfield Hospital joined with established staff at The Royal Melbourne Hospital in the commencement of this expanded service.
Almost 10 years later, the service has an exciting future with its strong ongoing links with the Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory, established ties with the Victorian public health system, particularly the Communicable Diseases Unit of the Department of Human Services (including regular contribution to meetings by leadings members of the unit), and located in the Parkville Precinct next to the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (with dynamic research projects into international infectious diseases), adjacent to Bio 21, and the site of the new Royal Women's Hospital.
There have been two previous important steps forward in the development of this service. The first was the opening of the service with a purpose-built ward with isolation facilities under Professor Graham Brown, and the second the award by the National Health and Medical Research Council of funding as a Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in 2002. From inception, the service was prepared for a special state role in managing patients with highly contagious infections such as viral haemorrhagic fevers, requiring medical and nursing staff with particular expertise and appropriate facilities. The threats of SARS and pandemic influenza were not then on the horizon. The redevelopment of the infectious disease ward in 2006 to meet the isolation needs posed by new infectious disease threats is a further step in the unit's development
The service has expanded from relatively limited initial clinical activity to a service with outpatient clinics each day of the working week, a busy inpatient ward, and providing 700 to 800 patients with a consultative service within The Royal Melbourne Hospital.
The Director of VIDS, Prof Michael Richards, was appointed in 2006.
The service addresses the needs of several stakeholders:
- The Victorian community acquiring infections within the community, addressing the diagnosis and management of these infections with expertise and using the latest diagnostic and most appropriate therapeutic approaches.
- Hospitalised patients who acquire infections whilst in hospital, often through vulnerability acquired through surgery, other medical conditions, or treatments that depress their immune system.
- Refugees, often coming from refugee camps, political turmoil and difficult social circumstances
- Increasing number of travellers, both with pre-travel advice and management of exotic infections on their return
- Increasing numbers, sadly, of intravenous drug users within our community
- Patients with HIV infection
- Patients with rare and dangerous infections such as acute haemorrhagic fever, for whom the hospital has a special processes and facilities to manage these patients optimally and safely for the staff who might otherwise be at risk.
There are important new challenges, which we must be informed about and prepared for:
- Emerging infectious diseases including the threat of SARS and Pandemic Flu
- The increasing problem of antimicrobial resistant pathogens within our hospitals and within our community
- The threat of bio-terrorism
The unit has developed approaches novel for an infectious diseases unit in this country.
- Public health is regularly and importantly involved in the regular activities of the unit with exchange of information between clinicians and public health physicians.
- There has been consistent involvement of epidemiologist within the unit in guiding the development of studies and innovations in patient management.
- There has been the engagement of infectious disease clinicians with specific portfolios of expertise allowing the development of a critical mass to generate excellence in patient care and exciting research potential.
- There has been extensive exploration of the use of information technology and improving the practice of medicine, particularly antibiotic prescribing and infectious disease management. This further promotes the strong emphasis on evidence based medicine in the therapeutic approaches undertaken.
- There has been a strong and enthusiastic emphasis on both teaching and clinical research.
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