The Department of Health and Human Services is deploying teams of public health experts and experienced nursing staff from some of the State’s hospitals to serve in residential aged care facilities in order to ensure appropriate oversight and care.
In a statement, the Premier, Daniel Andrews also announced all non-urgent Category Two elective surgery across public and private hospitals in metropolitan Melbourne were to be paused.
“The stories emerging from some of Victoria’s private aged care facilities in recent days have been deeply concerning and the Victorian Government and Commonwealth Government are working closely together to protect residents,” Mr Andrews said.
He said that with high numbers of outbreaks and hundreds of active cases across private residential aged care facilities, some private providers were struggling to maintain staffing levels and basic standards of care.
“State and Federal Government Agencies are working through the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre to coordinate additional support for the sector,” Mr Andrews said.
He said that for some residents who had tested positive to COVID-19, it was no longer safe to keep them onsite and they would need to be transferred to hospitals.
Over 100 residents had already been moved to hospitals across Melbourne with plans in place for many more to be transferred in the days ahead.
“In order to facilitate this increase in patients, all non-urgent Category 2 elective surgery across public and private hospitals in metropolitan Melbourne will be paused, to ensure our hospitals have the beds, equipment and staff available if aged care residents need to be transferred,” he said.
“The decision on whether to transfer any aged care resident to hospital is made on a case by case basis, taking into account what is clinically best for the patient.”
Mr Andrews said that wherever possible, surgical operations that had already been booked would proceed, but for the time being, only new Category One and the most urgent Category Two surgeries would be booked.
