More nurses, more ambos, and better care close to home

Every Victorian wants to know that when they or their loved one is sick, they can rely on quality healthcare close to home.

But that can only be achieved through first-class local hospitals and medical specialists, more healthcare workers, and a fast response in an emergency.

It’s why we kept our promise to end the ambulance crisis, why we’re rebuilding our hospitals and supporting our doctors and nurses to provide every patient the care they deserve.

Labor’s $1.3 billion package of new health and hospitals policies will keep delivering better healthcare for all Victorians - no matter where they live or what they earn.

This is in stark contrast to the Liberals, who cut $1 billion from health, went to war with workers, and saw waiting lists and response times blow out to the worst on record. 

Only Labor believes in fast, free, and first-class healthcare.

COMMUNITY HOSPITALS

• A re-elected Andrews Labor Government will invest $675 million to build, upgrade or expand ten community hospitals across the State

• We’ll build brand new community hospitals for Whittlesea, Eltham, Point Cook and Fishermans Bend

• Existing services at Craigieburn, Cranbourne, Pakenham, Phillip Island, Sunbury and Torquay will be expanded to become community hospitals – with more treatments, services and after-hours care

SPECIALIST CARE FOR REGIONAL VICTORIANS

• Patients in regional and rural communities will benefit from an extra 500,000 medical specialist appointments under a re-elected Andrews Labor Government

• This landmark boost will mean extra appointments for those with heart conditions, arthritis, chronic pain, and patients suffering from cancer

• This means patients will spend less time on the road, and more time in their community

• Labor will also establish an easy-to-access registry for GPs, with up-to-date information about individual hospital wait lists

BACKING OUR PARAMEDICS AND AMBULANCE SERVICES

• A re-elected Andrews Labor Government will recruit 90 new paramedics, building on the 1,000 extra we’ve already rolled out

• Labor will put 23 additional ambulances on the road, and convert 15 regional single crew stations to dual crew stations

• We’ll also upgrade and build new ambulance stations, to make sure paramedics have the modern equipment and facilities they need to do their important work

STRONGER NURSE PATIENT RATIOS

• A re-elected Andrews Labor Government will recruit an extra 1,100 nurses and midwives and make sure nurse numbers are always rounded up when applying ratios in every Victorian public hospital

• We’ll provide After-Hours Coordinators, and put more nurses on the night shift in our busiest hospitals

• Labor will also establish a $50 million fund to ensure we retain, recruit and train more nurses and midwives