The Royal Melbourne Hospital Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Management is a 24-hour perioperative service encompassing pre-anaesthesia assessment, intraoperative anaesthesia, anaesthesia in areas outside of the operating suite, acute postoperative pain management, and tertiary trauma care.  
 
The department is committed to evidence based best practice, continuous quality improvement, research and teaching. The hospital has 11 operating theatres, which cater for all major types of adult surgery with the exception of obstetrics and gynaecology. These include cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, vascular surgery, urology and renal transplantation, plastic surgery, faciomaxillary surgery, ENT/head and neck surgery, orthopaedic surgery, ophthalmic surgery and general surgery.

The Royal Melbourne is one of the two designated trauma hospitals in the state of Victoria, Australia. In addition, the department is one of the few referral services for Malignant Hyperthermia testing in Australia. Genetic testing is a recent addition to the service, which is opening up the possibility of interesting research and a more complete understanding of this condition. The department has a well coordinated acute pain service, with active research and education programs.