News

Today the Victorian Ambulance Union (VAU) was present when the Victorian State Budget for the 2023/24 financial year was handed down by the Victorian Government. The budget confirmed the funding for election commitments the VAU lobbied for ahead of the 2022 Victorian Election.

Additional funding commitments total $247 million which includes:

•         $21million for paramedic practitioner program.

•         $16million for 40 additional MICA positions.

•         Funding for review into outsourced Non-Emergency Patient Transport (NEPT) arrangements

•         $200million for increased demand on ambulance services.

This funding delivers on commitments made to the VAU prior to the 2022 State Election. 

We are pleased to see continued funding for Victoria’s Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) and 25 Priority Primary Care Centre’s (PPCC). These initiatives are aimed at taking strain off AV and emergency departments by providing an alternative pathway for non-emergency patients who currently call 000 for low priority health concerns.

Additional hospital funding is being allocated to expand and strengthen the ‘fit to sit’ initiative in hospital emergency departments, which the VAU has advocated for.

There is additional funding to continue reform at ESTA, upgrade computer aided dispatch, sobering services, funding towards GP placements, infrastructure upgrade hospitals and new hospital builds.

The VAU will be meeting with the State Government over coming weeks to discuss further funding commitments. However, we are pleased that the budget takes aim at many of the areas that the VAU have been advocating in.

In solidarity,