Labor is making it easier and faster for Victorians to get the care they need with paramedics now embedded in the Virtual Hospital Pilot.
Minister Shing today announced Ambulance Victoria has joined the Allan Labor Government's pilot.
Paramedics working in the Royal Melbourne Hospital's Digital Coordination Centre will use real-time emergency department and ambulance data to make faster, better decisions about where to take patients.
It means patients get to the right hospital, faster - and paramedics get back on the road sooner.
It will also improve patient flow across the broader health system.
Led by Austin Health and the Royal Melbourne Hospital, the Virtual Hospital is ensuring Victorians can receive care and recover at home.
This then frees up beds in hospital for patients who need them most.
More than 500 Victorians have received care through the pilot since it launched in December.
Labor is backing in the Virtual Hospital Pilot through a $6.1 million investment.
It builds on Labor's strong investment in virtual care, including the $437 million expansion of the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department - helping more Victorians access care faster and closer to home.
Jess Wilson's Liberals have a plan to cut $40 billion in services. That means cuts to paramedics. Cuts to public hospitals. Cuts to care.
As stated by Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Harriet Shing
"We're continuing to build and support a more modern, efficient public health system so that more Victorians can get the right care for them, closer to home."
"By bringing paramedics into the Virtual Hospital system, patients can be taken to the right hospital for them, and our incredible paramedics can get back on the road more quickly."
As stated by Chief Executive Officer Ambulance Victoria Jordan Emery
"By working more closely with our hospital partners through the Virtual Hospital pilot, we're improving how we coordinate care right across the health system and ensuring patients are connected with the most appropriate care for their needs."
"This new approach is strengthening communication between paramedics and health services, improving patient flow and getting our crews back on the road sooner to respond to the Victorian community."
