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A New State-Wide Ambulance Service - Ambulance Victoria

As of 1 July 2008, Victoria’s three ambulance services have been unified to form a new statewide agency, Ambulance Victoria.

Following a consultation process and receiving positive feedback from the former ambulance services, key stakeholders and community representatives, Ambulance Victoria was created under section 23 of the Ambulance Services Act 1986.

The formation of a new state-wide ambulance service would provide a new ambulance service for all Victorians. A new state-wide service would address issues in relation to provision of service across the existing geographical boundaries and enable a renewed focus on ensuring communities receive an equitable ambulance service, in terms of both access and outcomes. The consequential increase in financial base would enable the most appropriate resource allocation and greater flexibility to respond to changing environments and community expectations.

The Ambulance Victoria Board Chair is Ms Marika McMahon, also Chair of the Bendigo Health Care Group board.  Ms McMahon has been a RAV Board director since 2004. The majority of the other Ambulance Victoria directors have also come from the former Metropolitan Ambulance Service, Rural Ambulance Victoria or Alexandra and District Ambulance Service Boards, with two members who have not previously served on an ambulance board.  The initial CEO of Ambulance Victoria is Mr Greg Sassella who has been the CEO of Metropolitan Ambulance Service since 2001.

Ambulance Victoria will maintain two administrative headquarters - at Doncaster and Ballarat. 

Government Investment

The Victorian Government is committed to the delivery of high quality ambulance services to all Victorians.
The 2008-09 Budget builds on previous investments, and provides $170.8 million over four years and $14.9 million in one-off capital to meet the challenges ahead.
This represents the single biggest investment in the state’s ambulance service to date, and will see new and upgraded services throughout Victoria, with a major expansion to air ambulance capability.

Ambulance Services

Emergency ambulance services are available to all Victorians who are seriously ill or severely injured due to accident or illness.  There is no need for authorisation by a doctor for calling an ambulance under these circumstances.  To obtain help in an emergency, a person dials 000 on a telephone.  This activates a series of events which lead to the dispatch of an ambulance where one is required.

In Victoria emergency ambulance services are provided exclusively by Ambulance Victoria.  In addition to its primary role as provider of emergency ambulance services, Ambulance Victoria also provides non-emergency patient transport services.  Hospitals also use private providers of non-emergency patient transport services for inter-hospital transportation.