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“NEW 24 HOUR AMBULANCE SERVICE FOR NARRE WARREN NORTH”
Two new medical helicopters, 59 new and upgraded services and the prospect of a single statewide ambulance service headline a $185.7 million Budget boost representing the single biggest investment into Victoria’s ambulance services, announced by the Brumby Government today.
Narre Warren North MP, Luke Donnellan said that this record investment will deliver comprehensive healthcare benefits to all Victorians and is further evidence that that the Brumby Government is taking action to deliver quality health services for Victorian families.
New or expanded ambulance services will also be rolled across 48 towns and suburbs across Victoria.
Mr. Donnellan said today’s announcement would also see direct benefits for the Narre Warren North / Beaconsfield residents with the current ambulance service at Beaconsfield being upgraded to a 24 hour service along with a new 12 hour peak period service at Hallam.
“This renewed investment builds on previous achievements made by the Brumby Government for the Narre Warren area. Mr. Donnellan said. “Since 1999 the Bracks / Brumby Government has supported our local ambulance service by upgrading the Hampton Park service to a MICA Service and the new peak period service in Beaconsfield.
Mr. Donnellan said that in addition to 59 new and upgraded ambulance services across Victoria, today’s announcement would deliver:
A $185.7M budget boost over four years
In addition to a new and improved air ambulance fleet, a consultation paper was also released today proposing that Victoria’s ambulance services would become one organisation – Ambulance Victoria – to operate a strengthened new statewide service.
“This is the biggest single investment into the state’s ambulance services in Victoria’s history, and the results will be far reaching, with new and extra services throughout the state,” Health Minister Daniel Andrews said.
“By listening to community and paramedic concerns around the state, we are proposing to reshape Victoria’s ambulance service and deliver two air ambulance helicopters to provide the best emergency medical coverage both in the air and on the ground.”
One of the new choppers – to transport ill and injured babies, children and adults as part of the statewide retrieval system – will be based at Essendon airport, while the other will be based at Warrnambool to provide additional coverage to south-west Victoria.
Mr Andrews said transferring responsibility for the adult retrieval services to the Metropolitan Ambulance Service last November will further support improvements in retrieval services which is expected to lead to an increase in of air ambulance resources to transport patients.
“The first priority of the ambulance service was for the extra helicopter based at Essendon, which the Government has funded and MAS then advised that the next priority was an additional helicopter in rural/regional Victoria, and, the best location for this would be in the south-west of the state,” he said.
“By moving the statewide retrieval service to MAS 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.”
“The Warrnambool air ambulance will also have capacity for search and rescue operations,” he said.
Mr Andrews said the Budget would include $5.5 million to continue running the fixed wing service of Air Ambulance Victoria.
An $8.3 million component of the Budget would help employ 20 dedicated off roster rural/regional paramedics across the state, over and above a recent regional campaign to recruit an additional 100 paramedics into country Victoria to release rural station officers from their operational roster to dedicate more time to manage staff.
“Before this Budget our investment in ambulance services across the state had increased by $112 million since 1999,” Mr Andrews said.
“This previous investment has seen 25 new ambulance branches started across the state, including nine in country Victoria. We have also upgraded 48 stations, including 35 in rural areas and the Brumby Government will continue to build on this.”
The consultation paper is available on the Department of Human Services website, http:// www.health.vic.gov.au/ambulance. Responses close on 20 May 2008 Home | Legal Issues- Privacy, Copyright, Disclaimer | Website Feedback | Site Map Authorised
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