The new Standards for Safe and Timely Ambulance and Emergency Care for Victorians (Standards) will support practices across Ambulance Victoria and public hospitals so that patients arriving via ambulance receive timely care and paramedics are available to respond to people in the community.
There are 10 Standards, covering both shared and respective responsibilities for hospitals and Ambulance Victoria. The Standards are structured around the patient care journey and outline expectations related to:
- before paramedics transport patients and arrive at hospital,
- the transfer of patient care from a paramedic to hospital staff, and
- the patient experience through an emergency department, and an inpatient ward.
The Standards also focus on organisational leadership and operational processes.
The Department of Health (department) developed the Standards through extensive consultation, including with clinicians, operational staff and health sector leaders across health services and Ambulance Victoria.
Implementation
The Standards set out best practice for all public hospitals with an emergency department and Ambulance Victoria.
The department’s focus on implementation initially will be on major metropolitan and regional public hospital's emergency departments and Ambulance Victoria.
Implementation will be phased, commencing in February 2025. In line with a phased approach, the following standards will be prioritised for initial implementation and subject to monitoring by the Department:
- Standard 1: Leadership (Key expectations 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6)
- Standard 2: Alternative care settings (Key expectations 2.1, 2.2, 2.3)
- Standard 3: Efficient ambulance distribution (Key expectations 3.3)
- Standard 4: Enhanced patient transfer (Key expectation 4.1)
- Standard 5: Efficient clearing processes (Key expectation 5.1)
- Standard 6: Timely transfer of care (Key expectation 6.2)
- Standard 9: Early discharges (Key expectations 9.1, 9.2, 9.3) and
- Standard 10: Effective operational management and escalation (Key expectations: 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4).
How-to guides
How-to guides are available which set out practical steps to support health services to improve patient flow and access to timely emergency care.
Additional materials and guidance to support next steps, including a detailed implementation guide, will be shared with in-scope health services.
Protocol for the handover of ambulance patients in the Emergency Department
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