Victoria's health system continues to evolve. We are embedding lasting, system-wide reforms to strengthen health policy, planning, and service delivery for the future.
At the same time, the healthcare system in Victoria has never been better equipped. The health sector has seen incredible technological advances, unprecedented quality of care and increasing services and supports. With a world-class workforce, health outcomes for Victorians improve year after year.
Investments in healthcare innovation through collaboration with state and federal governments continue to drive progress, with a strong focus on prevention and early intervention.
Ensuring our health workforce is appropriately sized, diverse, and strategically distributed across the state remains a priority. Ongoing initiatives continue enhancing workforce capabilities, strengthening recruitment pipelines, and supporting healthcare professionals to meet future demands.
Over the past four and a half years, Victoria has undertaken the most extensive mental health reform in its history. We have established the foundations to transform Victoria's mental health and wellbeing system. This next phase builds on these foundations, aiming to address demand, drive performance, and focus on prevention and early intervention, especially for young Victorians and our regional and rural communities. We'll also continue to build and retain our highly skilled workforce and embed lived and living experience in all levels of the mental health and wellbeing system.
Similarly, the Statewide Action Plan for Harm Reduction takes a health-led approach to reducing drug-related harm. Expanding access to pharmacotherapy, trialling Naloxone vending machines, and introducing Australia's first Never Use Alone overdose prevention helpline, this initiative strengthens community health efforts. A new Community Health Hub in Melbourne's CBD will provide comprehensive health and social support services.
And yet despite major advancements, challenges remain – both past and future.
As demand for emergency care grows, the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department, established in 2022, will expand its reach, supporting over 1,750 Victorians daily by 2028-29. This will increase direct referrals from aged care, paramedics, primary health networks, and Nurse on Call. Over the past year, 83% of patients avoided unnecessary hospital visits through virtual care, easing pressure on frontline healthcare workers. The service also assists paramedics, allowing them to focus on critical emergencies.
Victoria's ambulance services continue to evolve to improve emergency response and patient care. Efforts focus on strengthening paramedic teams, particularly in rural and regional areas, to enhance service availability and reduce wait times. Additionally, measures are in place to streamline hospital processes, ensuring paramedics can quickly transition non-critical cases while maintaining capacity for life-threatening emergencies. These improvements support broader healthcare reforms aimed at increasing efficiency and accessibility across the state.
Health equity is central to Victoria's ongoing reforms. Aboriginal health initiatives focus on culturally safe, accessible services for First Peoples, transitioning decision-making to Aboriginal-led governance and strengthening the community-controlled sector. Embedding self-determination in healthcare delivery remains essential.
Similarly, women's healthcare remains a strong focus. Despite Victoria's high life expectancy for women, their pain and health concerns have historically been overlooked. We continue expanding gender-specific services, improving research and policy development, and leading initiatives that redefine how women's health issues are diagnosed, understood, and treated.
Addressing childhood health disparities is crucial. Children in disadvantaged communities experience disproportionately high rates of serious health concerns – sometimes compounded by neglect, abuse, and trauma. A coordinated, system-wide approach is needed to protect vulnerable children and give every Victorian child the opportunity to thrive.
Victoria's ageing population is growing, with over one million Victorians now over the age of 65. Ensuring respectful, high-quality healthcare for older residents is a key priority.
Access to healthcare remains challenging in rural and regional communities, where workforce shortages contribute to poorer health outcomes compared to metropolitan areas. Likewise, multicultural communities, refugees, and asylum seekers face additional health disparities, requiring targeted, culturally responsive care.
People with disability – 17% of Victorians – continue to encounter systemic barriers in communication, mobility, and access to essential physical and psychosocial support. The system must evolve to better meet their needs.
Just over one in 20 adult Victorians identifies as LGBTIQA+, yet many still face discrimination, stigma, and exclusion, leading to poorer overall health outcomes. Healthcare must be equitable – without discrimination or bias.
To further improve system access, care coordination and to provide services closer to home, we are focused on embedding Local Health Service Networks. These Networks bring health services within a geographical region together to share expertise, strengthen referral pathways, coordinate clinical services, and work together to attract, develop and retain staff.
The department will also continue to take actions to ensure that it is efficient and effective, having regard to Victoria's fiscal environment and the Government's service delivery priorities.
This broad range of work continues to ensure all Victorians can access the healthcare they need. This strategic plan provides a framework for ongoing transformation – leveraging innovation, tackling challenges, and advancing Victoria's vision for a healthier, fairer future.
Reviewed 25 August 2025