The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) is a major children's hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

As a major specialist paediatric hospital in Victoria, the Royal Children's Hospital provides a full range of clinical services, tertiary care, as well as health promotion and prevention programs for children and young people.^[3]

The hospital is the designated statewide major trauma centre for paediatrics in Victoria and a Nationally Funded Centre for cardiac and liver transplantation.

Its campus partners are the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics, which are based onsite at the hospital.

The hospital is surrounded by the parkland of Royal Park, with views of trees and lots of natural light.

The hospital was established in 1870^[4] and moved to its present site in Parkville on the corner of Flemington Road and Gatehouse Street in 1963.^[4]

The Royal Children's Hospital was founded by Doctors John Singleton and William Smith, in response to their serious concerns about infant mortality in the fledgling city of Melbourne. The original "Free Hospital for Sick Children" was set up in a small house at 39 Stephen Street (now 49 Exhibition Street) and treated more than 1,000 children in its first year of operation.^[5]

In 2005, the Victorian State Government announced plans to build a brand new 340 bed home for RCH adjacent to the current site.^[6]

The winning bid of the redevelopment is led by Babcock & Brown with architects Billard Leece Partnership and Bates Smart Architects. HKS Inc. Architects of Dallas, Texas provided Pediatric Design and Planning Services and consulting engineers Norman Disney & Young. Work commenced on the site in late 2007, and was complete in late 2011, opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on her Royal Tour.^[7] Demolition of the old site was complete by December 2012, after the transition to the new facility. Patients were moved into the new hospital in November 2011.^[8] After the move, much of the old site was turned back into parkland, creating a new gateway to Royal Park.^[9] Landscaping of the park was complete by 2015.

The Good Friday Appeal is held annually to raise money for the hospital. It has been broadcast on the Seven TV network for 52 years. The goal of the Appeal is to ensure that children with life-threatening illnesses receive the best possible medical and clinical care.^[10]

The 2009 Appeal raised $13,862,734.^[11] The 2010 Appeal raised $14,462,000.^[12] The 2011 Appeal raised $15,156,000. The 2012 Appeal raised $15,820,640. The 2013 appeal raised $16,405,534.65.^[13] The 2016 Appeal, raised $17,445,624.^[14] The 2017 Appeal, raised $17,605,662.^[15]

A new record was set in 2018, with the appeal raising $18,043,25.^[16]

The RCH Centre for Adolescent Health, Gender Service provides a multidisciplinary approach to the assessment, care and treatment of Gender Dysphoria^[17] for children aged 3 to 17 years.^[18][19] In 2003 it received 1 referral,^[20] increasing to 7 referrals in 2007. In 2015 it was expected that there would be more than 150 referrals, with a one-year waiting list. The Andrews government said it will spend an extra $6 million over four years to reduce waiting times.^[21][22] During 2016 the gender clinic is expecting to receive at least 250 referrals.^[23]

A joint study by the Royal Children's Hospital and the Monash Medical Centre, found that in a cohort of children with gender identity disorder, the condition persisted into adolescence and adulthood in only 16% of cases.^[24]