Our emergency departments have had to handle a sharp increase in critical patients.
And they’ve had to manage workforce disruptions when staff got sick, and roll out COVIDSafe practices that – while important – complicate and slow down care.
Across Australia, demand for emergency services is at an all-time high, with Triple Zero call-takers and dispatchers dealing with unprecedented call volumes.
But every Victorian should have confidence that when they call for emergency care, someone will come to help.
That’s why this Budget invests in practical and immediate measures to cut wait times, expand emergency departments and get Victorians the help they need, when they need it most.
In addition to recruiting and training more paramedics, we are relieving pressure on our emergency response systems:
Triple Zero services
We're investing $333 million to add nearly 400 new staff to increase Triple Zero call taking and dispatch capacity for Triple Zero services, including ambulances, and training more operators to allocate calls across the state.
Casey Hospital and Werribee Mercy Hospital
We’re expanding the emergency departments at Casey Hospital and Werribee Mercy Hospital with $236 million to at least double their current capacity and get patients home from hospital sooner.
Ambulance Victoria
We’re enhancing our fleet management system and improving rostering and support functions at Ambulance Victoria with $99 million to meet the growing demand for ambulance services.
We're investing $12 million in Ambulance Victoria to establish a second mobile stroke unit in Melbourne’s south-east, so that stroke victims can get the urgent care they need without delay.
Media release
Reviewed 03 May 2022