July 22nd, 2026GETTING VICTORIAN PATIENTS HOME SOONER

Getting patients home sooner

Emergency departments and paramedics right across Victoria are facing record demand.

State government funding will help them to discharge patients on weekends.

It means more support for doctors, nurses, allied health workers and pharmacists on the weekend, as well as improvements to discharge planning and clinical handover processes.

For patients who are medically ready to leave hospital, they will no longer spend extra time on a ward just because it happens to be the weekend.

They’ll continue to recover at home instead – freeing up beds for patients who need them most.

By discharging patients sooner, patient flow will improve which will reduce pressure on our EDs – so staff can focus on emergencies and get paramedics back on the road.

It will be achieved through practical changes like better coordination between clinical teams, increasing the use of discharge lounges and increased resourcing.

Faster emergency care

The program, which includes Ballarat Base Hospital, has supported 28 public hospitals to deliver care faster.

It has delivered real results including more than 66,000 bed days freed across participating hospitals.