Massive Boost to the Next Generation of Paramedics
Our paramedics do an incredible job. Victorians deeply value the work that they do, looking after our loved ones and saving lives – 365 days a year.
Matthew Guy's Liberals, though, they don't just undervalue our paramedics and patient transport ambos – they actually went to war with them.
When last in government, they cut $1 billion from health – and resorted to calling our paramedics thugs and liars. The Liberals even sold off our state's Non-Emergency Patient Transport (NEPT) to private providers.
Labor is working with paramedics, not against them.
We’ve already boosted the workforce by almost 2,200 paramedics since coming to government, including a record intake of more than 700 paramedics last year.
We're recruiting more Triple Zero call takers, delivering new ambulances and equipment, and building and upgrading stations across our state.
And we’ll introduce Australia’s first paramedic practitioners, to give more people the care they need at home if they don’t need to visit a hospital.
But when it comes to those minutes and seconds that save lives – there's always more to do.
That’s why a re-elected Andrews Labor Government will invest $16 million to add another 40 MICA paramedics to our ranks.
Our MICA paramedics are some of the best of the best when it comes to emergency health care – managing complex head injuries, administering intra osseous (into bone) drugs, treating life-threatening chest injuries and providing advanced management of cardiac conditions.
They have a higher clinical skill set and can perform more technical medical procedures – so having more of these highly-skilled crews on the road will ensure patients are getting the best care in the most urgent circumstances.
There are currently around 600 MICA paramedics in Victoria, so this investment will mean a significant uplift – with the new crews to be deployed across the state, boosting services for both regional and Melbourne-based patients.
As we train and hire record numbers of paramedics and healthcare workers, we know we also need to upgrade training facilities to ensure there is sufficient capacity.
That’s why Labor will make a $10 million investment towards an Australian-first Centre for Paramedicine, in partnership with Victoria University (VU).
The Centre will focus on training the next generation of ambos, providing advanced teaching methods – with the capacity to train around 1,500 paramedic students each year.
VU currently provides one of Australasia’s largest undergraduate programs in paramedicine, with more than 800 students – and the new Centre will continue the university’s partnership with Ambulance Victoria.
A re-elected Labor Government will also review the existing procurement arrangements for patient transport ambulances, to assess whether outsourcing remains the most effective model to deliver non-urgent transport.
Under Jeff Kennett, Matthew Guy’s Liberals outsourced patient transport ambos and Triple Zero services, creating the world’s first privatised emergency call centre and leading to a Royal Commission – which found the private provider at the time was engaged in illegal activity, directing staff to call Triple Zero to meet performance targets.
The Auditor-General also issued a report which concluded that the contractual processes surrounding the outsourcing “at best involved serious mismanagement or, at worst, constituted corrupt activity,” and found the estimated savings of $20 million from the outsourcing were not achieved.
Outsourcing patient transport ambos has fragmented the system, decreased operational flexibility and worsened pay and conditions – all for no actual cost savings for the taxpayer. The review will be conducted by Member for Melton and former paramedic Steve McGhie and be concluded by the end of 2023.
Only Labor is doing what matters to boost our ambulance system and provide patients with the best care.
Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews
“Labor is doing what matters – standing shoulder to shoulder with our hard-working ambos and delivering the vital investments that save lives.”
“We’ve listened to our paramedics, who have told us we need to work in partnership with them to deliver nuanced and targeted approaches to patient care – and we’re doing exactly that.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Ambulance Services Mary-Anne Thomas
“Matthew Guy’s Liberals have a track record of going to war with our ambos and privatising health services, and we know they’ll do it again if they get the chance.”
“We’re investing record amounts and listening to the ideas of paramedics and patients and turning them into policy.”