Health Services Plan

In July 2023, the Victorian Department of Health commissioned an Expert Advisory Committee (the Committee) to examine the design and governance of Victoria's health services system. Over 10 months they explored many of the challenges experienced by patients, communities and our health workforce within the system.

The Health Services Plan (The Plan), outlines a system-wide reform to help meet growing demand in the health system, strengthen consistent access to high-quality and safe care, and address challenges in engaging and retaining our essential workforce.

The Plan provides a range of recommendations for a more connected system that delivers the right care, at the right time, in the right place, for all Victorians. The Government accepted in full or in principle 26 of 27 recommendations.

The Government does not accept recommendation 7.1 relating to directed consolidations of health services outlined in the report.

Work is well underway on the accepted recommendations, through three key pillars of reform:

• Establishing Local Health Service Networks (Networks) – geographic groupings of health services responsible for planning and managing care so that it meets the population health needs of their communities.
• Formalised relationships between each Network and a women's, a children's and a tertiary hospital, ensuring every Victorian has seamless access to specialist care and expertise when they need it.
• A Victorian Role Delineation Framework, which supports safe and high quality care through setting out the roles and responsibilities of the different types of health service sites.

Consultation

Collaboration between sector leaders, workforce and local communities has been central to the development and implementation of the Health Services Plan’s recommendations.

A range of consultation activities were undertaken in 2024 and continue into 2025 to support implementation and establish Local Health Service Network arrangements. Find out more about the Local Health Service Network consultations.