THE Royal Women's Hospital has admitted that single women were treated differently from married mothers until the mid-1970s and apologised for the pain and suffering that the practice caused.

The apology came as the hospital filed to a Senate inquiry into forced adoption a submission that admitted denying unwed mothers access to their babies. The submission said it was unlikely they were informed of options other than adoption.

The former Royal Women's Hospital. Credit:John Woudstra

The hospital's chief executive, Dale Fisher, said in a statement: ''I apologise to every woman who felt she had no choice but to relinquish her baby for adoption while in our care. I understand many relinquishing mothers experienced, and continue to experience, feelings of grief, pain, anger, helplessness and loss, and for this I apologise unreservedly.''

But the submission denied using illegal tactics to cajole women to give up their babies.