Victoria’s health system continues to stabilise following the COVID-19 pandemic, with the support of dedicated health care workers and the Andrews Labor Government’s $12 billion Pandemic Repair Plan.

The latest health system quarterly performance data released today shows that despite sustained demand, Victoria’s health system continues to show signs of improvement across a range of key areas.

Data shows that Ambulance Victoria were called to 92,413 Code 1 cases in the last quarter with 65.2 per cent of Code 1 cases responded to within 15 minutes – a 5 per cent improvement on the previous quarter.

Investments to double the Victorian Virtual ED (VVED) program and establish Priority Primary Care Centres (PPCCs) across the state are having a real impact on our emergency departments – helping lower presentations with 469,469 presentations, compared to 488,629 from the previous quarter.

With more than 100,000 Victorians now having accessed care through the VVED and 16,000 Victorians diverted from an emergency department to a PPCC, median emergency department wait times are back to pre-pandemic levels – now sitting at 18 minutes.

The Labor Government’s $1.5 billion COVID-19 Catch Up Plan is also helping deliver more surgery to Victorians, with 46,548 patients undergoing procedures in the last quarter – the largest quarter since 2019, which reduced the waiting list to 78,909.

Victoria’s two new public surgical centres in Blackburn and Frankston and new Rapid Access Hubs rolling out across the state are also helping to streamline services and free up theatres and ward capacity in our busy hospitals.

99.99 per cent of Category 1 planned surgery patients continue to be treated within the recommended time frame, while the median wait times improved by 21 days for Category 3 (non-urgent) patients and 19 days for Category 2 (semi-urgent) patients, compared to the same time last year.

While all health systems continue to face challenges with COVID-19, deferred care and a primary health system that isn’t free, fast and local as it should be, Victoria’s Pandemic Repair Plan is providing health services with the support they need now.

These improvements would not have been possible without Victoria’s dedicated healthcare workforce who are the backbone of our health system. Since the Plan was launched last year, Victoria has trained and recruited more than 4,500 healthcare workers – with even more on the way.