The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) has won a top Victorian public healthcare award for its specialist Eating Disorder Program.

Minister for Mental Health Mary Wooldridge Wednesday night presented the service with a Minister’s Award for outstanding achievement in mental healthcare at the 2011 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards inMelbourne.

“The Victorian Public Healthcare Awards – now in their seventh year – profile innovative, informed and effective healthcare leadership across the Victorian public health system,” Ms Wooldridge said.

“The passion, talent and dedication of the Victorian health workforce is highlighted by the individuals and organisations that have been selected for these awards.

The Minister’s Award for outstanding achievement by an individual or team recognises outstanding staff success or action above and beyond the call of duty.

Ms Wooldridge said The Royal Children’s Hospital specialist Eating Disorder Program provided clinical care for all adolescents under 19 with eating disorders.

“The program implemented a Family-Based Treatment (FBT) for eating disorders which is a parent-focused outpatient treatment that is a more clinically effective and cost effective model than expensive inpatient or day hospital programs,” Ms Wooldridge said.

“Using the highest level of evidence to support its implementation of any current therapy, the model strives to restore weight and return the adolescent to a normal developmental trajectory.

“It is compelling that 98 per cent of adolescents whose family completes a course of FBT are weight restored by the end of six months of treatment,” Ms Wooldridge said.