$50 million boost to cut emergency wait times and ease ambulance ramping

The Victorian Government has announced a $50 million investment to improve emergency care and reduce ambulance offload delays across 16 major health services.

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said the funding would help hospitals move patients through emergency departments more efficiently and get paramedics back on the road faster.

“Demand for emergency care remains at record highs, that’s why we are giving hospitals and ambos what they need to move patients through our EDs faster, reduce wait times, and get ambulances back on the road sooner,” Ms Thomas said.

At Monash Health’s Clayton campus, $4 million will be used to create an Acute Medical Transition Unit for frail or complex short-stay patients. The new unit will enable faster transfers for rapid medical review, priority access to diagnostics, and direct ward admission – improving patient flow and easing congestion in the emergency department.

Eastern Health’s Box Hill Hospital will receive $6.9 million to add 12 inpatient beds and employ additional medical, nursing and allied health staff. The changes will support earlier admissions from the emergency department, reducing ramping and overall length of stay.

In Geelong, Barwon Health will receive $4.4 million to establish a Medical Day Hub. The investment will expand the Hospital in the Home program, add medical day stay beds and enhance the transit lounge, helping to free up emergency capacity for new patients.

Other metropolitan services receiving funding include Austin Health, Alfred Health, Western Health, Mercy Health, St Vincent’s Health, Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peninsula Health.

In regional Victoria, funding will go to Goulburn Valley Health, Latrobe Regional Health, Grampians Health, Albury Wodonga Health and Bendigo Health.

The initiative builds on existing programs such as the Standards for Safe and Timely Ambulance and Emergency Care, which aim to speed up patient transfers and reduce emergency department congestion. Since February, 80 per cent of participating hospitals – including Austin, Sunshine and Frankston – have recorded improved patient transfer times of more than four per cent.

The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department and Urgent Care Clinics are also continuing to help divert patients from emergency departments by providing remote access to care for non-critical conditions.

“This is another important investment in our world-class health system, backing our frontline health workers and getting Victorians the care they need, when and where they need it,” Ms Thomas said.