Victorians in need of ambulance care around the State will benefit from the single biggest investment in ambulance services in the State’s history in the Brumby Labor Government’s 2008-09 State Budget.
The Minister for Health, Daniel Andrews, said the record $185.7 million Brumby Labor Government State Budget boost for ambulance services would significantly increase access to vital services in communities across Victoria.
This record investment will see $131.7 million devoted to station upgrades and extra services, including additional paramedics, $45.7 million for a new and improved air ambulance fleet, and $8.3 million to help employ 20 dedicated off roster rural/regional paramedics across the State.
Mr Andrews said two new medical helicopters, a proposed single statewide ambulance service and new or expanded ambulance services based in 59 towns and suburbs across Victoria headlined the record investment.
“The Brumby Labor Government is taking action to deliver the highest quality health services to communities across Victoria,” Mr Andrews said.
“Our Government understands how important ambulance services are to Victorians, that is why we are delivering record funding and why we are seeking to reform ambulance services in this State to put patients first.”
One of the new helicopters – to transport ill and injured babies, children and adults as part of the retrieval system – will be based at Essendon airport. The other will be based at Warrnambool to provide additional coverage to south-west Victoria.
Mr Andrews said that transferring responsibility for the adult retrieval services to the Metropolitan Ambulance Service last November led to a review of air ambulance requirements. The ambulance service’s first priority was for a new helicopter based at Essendon, and the service’s next priority was a helicopter based in the south-west of the State.
“By undertaking a broader ambulance strategy and adding a dedicated retrieval chopper at Essendon, we have been able to give the air ambulance system the flexibility to make an enhanced air ambulance service to the south-west a workable option,” Mr Andrews said.
“Our reforms of ambulance services have now enabled our Government to provide an air ambulance in the south west, which will also have capacity for search and rescue operations.”
The Budget’s $45.7 million air ambulance boost includes $5.5 million over four years for the Air Ambulance Victoria’s rescue airplane, and to upgrade the aircraft used to transport ill babies for the neonatal retrieval system.
A total of 13 new ‘peak period units’ will commence in Abbotsford, Bacchus Marsh, Berwick, Coburg, Frankston, Hallam, Ivanhoe, Pakenham, Patterson Lakes, Prahran, South Morang, Yarra Junction and Yarraville to boost ambulance services at busy times of the day.
Around the State, nine ambulance stations will be refurbished or rebuilt at Anglesea, Avoca, Ballarat, Hamilton, Hastings, Neerim South, Pakenham, Sunbury and Timboon. There will also be upgraded services involving the addition of paramedics at Alexandra, Anglesea, Apollo Bay, Beaconsfield, Colac, Greensborough, Melton, Mirboo North, Sunbury and Timboon will be upgraded.
New paramedic teams will be based at Broadmeadows, Croydon, Laverton, Fawkner, Frankston, Hillside, Dandenong and Box Hill.
Extra crews will be added to stations on major country transport corridors – at Woodend, Kyneton, Kilmore and Gisborne – and new MICA single responder units will be established at Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and the Latrobe Valley.
The Budget provides $8.3 million over four years to employ 20 additional paramedics across regional and rural Victoria, over and above a recent regional campaign to recruit an additional 100 paramedics to country Victoria.
Mr Andrews said the expansion in ambulance services in towns and suburbs was ensuring services were based in areas where demand was increasing.
Mr Andrews said 2008-09 State Budget would also enable Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance services to be streamlined at a number of metropolitan stations, with the rollout of more single MICA paramedic responders to provide more flexibility and a quicker response.
This will see new MICA single responder units introduced at Box Hill, Bundoora, Chelsea, Coburg, Dandenong, Frankston, Hillside, Ivanhoe, Laverton, Nunawading, Prahran and Ringwood.
New 24 hour MICA units will also commence in Boronia, Eltham North and Werribee with MICA peak period units in Clayton, Footscray, Malvern and Richmond.
“In recognition of the increased use of ambulance services by pensioners and healthcare card holders, we are providing an extra $2.1 million to provide 19,400 free transports,” he said.
Mr Andrews said the Brumby Labor Government had also released a position paper proposing a total restructure of Victoria’s ambulance services that would see one organisation – Ambulance Victoria – operate a strengthened new statewide service.
The position paper is available at www.health.vic.gov.au/ambulance and responses close on 20 May 2008.
Mr Andrews said the Victorian Government’s investment in ambulance services had increased by $112 million since 1999, delivering 25 new ambulance branches across the State, including nine in country Victoria, as well as upgrading 48 stations, including 35 in rural areas.
