Pressure on Victoria’s hospitals and healthcare workers is to be eased under a new plan for more staff, better hospitals and first-class care.
Announced by Premier Daniel Andrews as part of the Victorian Budget 2022/23, the Pandemic Repair Plan is to see up to 7,000 healthcare workers, including 5,000 nurses, trained and hired.
Mr Andrews said the Plan would also see Ambulance Victoria put 90 more paramedics on the road, more support for paramedics and increased capacity for Triple Zero call-takers and dispatchers.
“We will also drive new ways to improve patient flow to help unclog emergency departments and prevent ramping,” Mr Andrews said.
“The Pandemic Repair Plan also includes more than $80 million to deliver an additional 400 perioperative nurses, upskill 1,000 nurses and theatre technicians, and recruit up to 2,000 ex-pat and international healthcare workers through a global workforce recruitment drive.”
He said under the Plan, more than 1,125 Registered Undergraduate Nursing students would enter the workforce per year over the next two years and $9.8 million would be allocated to support 75 Registered Undergraduate Student of Midwifery positions and flexible approaches to midwifery staffing.
“This will help better prepare our future nurses and midwives to care for Victorians, while also providing much needed support on the ground,” the Premier said.
“Some $4.7 million will support allied health advanced practice roles to upskill allied health workers and improve patient care, while $5.6 million will allow an additional 288 graduate enrolled nurses to hit the ground running in our hospitals with the dedicated supports they need,” he said.
Mr Andrews said community-based healthcare services would be strengthened under the Plan through the integration of GPs into 20 registered community health services.
The Pandemic Repair Plan can be viewed at this PS News link.
