Victoria’s world-class health system is delivering faster, safer care for more Victorians.

Backed by the Carroll Labor Government, the dedicated workforce are caring for more ED patients, improving ambulance transfers and delivering record numbers of planned surgeries. 

Between April and June (Quarter Four), Victoria’s EDs managed a record 513,816 presentations.

They contributed to the more than two million presentations across the 2025/26 financial year – 47,000 more patients than the year before.

Demand was not only higher, but more complex, with EDs seeing an additional 47,283 high-acuity patients.

These are Category 1 to 3 patients who require immediate, emergency or urgent care for heart attacks, strokes, severe injuries, breathing difficulties and other serious medical conditions.

This is a 3.8 per cent increase compared with the previous year. 

By comparison, lower-acuity Category 4 and 5 presentations decreased by 2.4 per cent.

This data highlights that the Carroll Labor Government’s investments – including the Virtual Emergency Department and Ambulance Victoria’s Triage Service – are working.

They are helping connect lower acuity patients to the right care without needing to attend an ED.

Victoria’s hardworking paramedics responded to more than 95,000 urgent Code 1 incidents during Quarter Four. 

Despite demand, 72 per cent of patients arriving by ambulance were transferred into ED care within 40 minutes – the best June quarter result in six years.

This improvement is backed by the Carroll Labor Government’s investments to get paramedics back on the road sooner, including more short stay beds and handover standards.

Victoria’s dedicated health workforce continued to deliver planned surgery to more Victorians.

This includes more than 57,300 patients between April and June – the second highest quarter four on record.

This contributed to a third consecutive record-breaking year. 

Importantly, every Category 1 patient received surgery within the recommended timeframe.

The Carroll Labor Government is delivering a world-class health system for working families across Victoria.

This year alone, the Carroll Labor Government invested more than $32.3 billion into the health system – the most ever in frontline care.