The Allan Labor Government is giving our hardworking rural ambulance teams the facilities they need to continue providing lifesaving ambulance care to Victorians living rurally, opening an upgraded ambulance branch in Trentham.
Minister for Ambulance Services Mary-Anne Thomas today attended the opening of the upgraded station located on Station Steet in Trentham alongside local first responders.
The new branch houses Ambulance Community Officers (ACOs), who are trained to respond to medical emergencies, provide early interventions and respond with paramedics in the delivery of care. ACOs can also transport patients to hospital. ACOs are an important provider of care in rural and remote communities.
The new station has been fully fitted out with a training room, kitchen, bathroom and rest and recline areas, security upgrades, car parking, and houses a fully fitted out ambulance capable of transporting patients to care.
Alongside improved infrastructure, the Labor Government has invested in a range of initiatives to improve access to emergency ambulance services in regional Victoria - increasing the number of dual paramedic crews, 24-hour ambulance stations and dedicated units that can respond to peak periods of demand.
Since coming to government, the Labor Government has invested an additional $2 billion into our ambulance services and increased the onroad workforce by over 50%.
This investment has led to a range of initiatives to improve access to emergency care in rural and regional Victoria, including increasing the number of dual paramedic crews and upgrading branches to 24-hour operation.
The Victorian Budget 2023/24 also delivered more than $200 million in funding to improve access to emergency care, with an additional $46 million investment towards training additional mobile intensive care ambulance paramedics, establishing 25 paramedic practitioners and supporting the new Centre for Paramedicine.
Helping to meet the growing needs of the state, a further $146 million from the Victorian Budget 2024/25 is supporting services like the Secondary Triage Service and Medium Acuity Transport Services, freeing up paramedics so they are available to respond to the most time-critical patients.
As stated by Minister for Ambulance Services and Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas
"This upgrade will ensure Trentham's dedicated first responders can continue to provide our growing community with the high-quality care they deserve."
"Living in rural and regional Victoria should be no barrier to receiving quality care, and investments like this are helping to ensure that these communities can get the care they need, when they need it."
