Multimillion-dollar boost on the way for Victoria’s country ambulance services

Victoria’s rural and regional ambulance service has been given a $14.8m cash injection in a move that’s hoped to ease ever mounting case loads.

Victoria’s rural and regional ambulance service has been given a multimillion dollar boost in a move paramedics hope will ease pressure on growing caseloads.

The state government on Friday announced a $14.8 million cash injection would put more paramedics on the road in regional areas and add key Peak Period Units across the state.

It includes the addition of 77 new graduate paramedics on the road by March.

It comes after Ambulance Victoria whistleblowers warned that Victorians would be left to die without urgent government intervention to boost resources.

The Herald Sun was told crews had routinely been forced to travel more than 60kms to attend critical Code 1 call outs because of a shortage of available paramedics.

Crews were also being diverted from Melbourne to attend regional jobs.

The new funding will deliver four new PPUs for Ambulance Victoria in the Bellarine Peninsula, Eaglehawk, Churchill and Gisborne from next month.

Other rural areas to get extra resources include Benalla, Lakes Entrance, Torquay, Castlemaine, Bannockburn and Daylesford.

Victoria’s rural and regional ambulance service has been given a multimillion dollar boost Picture: Stephen Harman

The Beechworth branch will also convert from single paramedic to dual paramedic crewing, and the Chiltern team will convert to a single paramedic on call location with Ambulance Community Officer support.

Seven additional PPUs will also be provided to the metropolitan region at Epping, Tarneit, Mernda, Craigieburn, Boronia, Templestowe and Bayside.

Ambulance union secretary Danny Hill welcomed the funding boost.

“It’s actually a pretty good targeted package,” Mr Hill said.

“it’s what we’ve needed for some time, and it will certainly make an impact.

“It won’t fix everything, but it’s quite a good package.”

Mr Hill said the placement of PPUs would have a significant positive impact on surrounding areas and free paramedics up for other work.

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Steve McGhie said the funding would not only see more paramedics employed across the state, as well as extra ambulance units and surge shifts, but improve referral service capacity.

Pressure increased in regional Victoria following the lifting of stage four restrictions last year with an 11.4 per cent increase in daily ambulance call-outs compared to before COVID-19.

Ambulance Victoria CEO Tony Walker said the funding boost would benefit the organisation and the community.

“The last three months of 2020 saw significant demand on the healthcare system as Victorians emerged from almost eight months of restrictions and we were not exception to this,” Associate Prof. Walker said.

“While last year presented many challenges as we responded to the bushfires and COVID-19, 2021 will be just as busy on our service as we strive to meet the health needs of Victorians.

“This funding will enable us to bring forward several initiatives slated for 2022/23 to this year and target additional resources to areas where they will have the greatest impact on our service performance.”