The Andrews Government record

Safe Patient Care Act Amendment Bill is introduced to parliament requiring an additional 600 nurses and midwives. 2018 ELECTION PROMISE

Removes 50 per cent rule in many areas, requiring health services to always round up if the number of patients is not divisible by the ratio.

Improved ratios in palliative care, birthing suites and special care nurseries, and ED resuscitation cubicles (PM and night duty).

New ratios in acute stroke units, haematology wards and acute inpatient oncology.

Unpaid parental leave super win

Superannuation payments on the paid and unpaid components of parental leave in the 2020-24 enterprise agreement was a major win for the next generation of public sector nurses and midwives.

During the early days of the national COVID-19 lockdown, the Andrews Government and ANMF continued negotiations for the 2020-24 public sector nurses and midwives enterprise agreement. ANMF members endorsed the government’s offer on 16 April 2020.

The final agreement overhauled almost every clause in the previous agreement. In addition to superannuation being payable on unpaid parental leave, it included leave portability improvements; a Sunday night rate increase to $154.60 in 2023 (it will be $89.90 from December 2022); an additional four weeks’ paid parental leave and a reduced qualifying period; improved access to a sixth week of annual leave for part-time nurses and midwives; earlier access to long service leave; unpaid parental leave counting as service towards long service leave, and a lead apron allowance.

The new EBA included the remaining nine per cent pay rise carried over from the eight-year pay deal members endorsed as part of their 2016 EBA. This historic agreement – to achieve members’ claim to reach after-tax pay parity with their NSW colleagues – included record pay rises in 2019. Victorian nurses’ and midwives’ wages are now higher than NSW wages.

The first year of the pandemic saw Queensland public sector nurses’ and midwives’ wages frozen and our NSW colleagues received 0.3 per cent; they are still campaigning for a fair wage rise and ratios.

Victorian public sector nurses’ and midwives’ negotiations are expected to start in late 2023.

ANMF uses the public sector agreement as the benchmark agreement for all other agreements.

The Safe Patient Care Act Amendment Bill passes The improvements and new ratios will be introduced in five stages between March 2019 and March 2023 2018 ELECTION PROMISE

Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System established 2018 ELECTION PROMISE

Northern Hospital $22 million expended intensive care unit opens

$21 million health hub for Melton opens

State budget 2019-20 includes $3.8 billion to build modern hospitals. $1.5 billion for the new Footscray Hospital and initial funding for the new Melton hospital. $100 million for regional and rural health infrastructure. $562 million for Frankston Hospital, $217 million for Latrobe Regional Hospital, $60 million for Bendigo Hospital Day Rehabilitation Centre, ten new community hospitals, five new children’s EDs, and $10 million for the Geelong Women’s and Children’s Hospital. 2018 ELECTION PROMISES

$173 million for mental health, includes $23.3 million for an extra 28 inpatient beds, $18.9 million to support mental health clinicians including nurses, $10.2 million for a new 30-bed residential rehabilitation facility in Gippsland, $6.6 million to increase beds at Prevention and Recovery Care (PARC) units, $6 million for a new Centre for Excellence for Emergency Worker Mental Health, and $17.1 million for the mental health royal commission to continue its work.

The Safer Baby Collaborative program is launched in 20 maternity services to reduce the rate of stillbirths as part of the work responding to the 2018 Parliamentary Inquiry into Perinatal Services final report.

Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 comes into effect.

Public sector nurses and midwives join the $2.5 million pilot to provide current and former emergency workers with immediate access to mental health treatment when a workers compensation claim is made, rather than waiting for approval.

$60 million National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health opens in Parkville.

Education program for public hospital birthing suite clinicians to better respond to risk and reduce neonatal and foetal deaths.

Andrews Government announces it will decriminalise public drunkenness in line with a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. A health response will be developed in its place.  

Andrews Government announces the Mildura Base Hospital will return to the public health system after years of members and community campaigning.

Joan Kirner Hospital neonatal intensive care unit opens. 2014 ELECTION PROMISE

$1 million to upgrade four public aged care facilities – Melbourne Health’s Boyne Russell House, McLellan House Hostel, Merv Irvine and Cyril Jewell House. 2018 ELECTION PROMISE

Workplace manslaughter is enshrined in law. The offence is included in the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004.

Andrews Government accepts the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System interim report’s nine recommendations. 2018 ELECTION PROMISE

Andrews Government and NSW Berejiklian Government announce a $36 million joint Albury Wodonga Health project to build a new and expanded ED and short stay unit.

$437 million announcement to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, with additional beds, funding for EDs and ICUs, and additional resources.

Online register opens for retired healthcare specialists, including nurses and midwives, to return as part of the COVID response.

Public sector nurses and midwives provided with special paid pandemic leave if they contract COVID with other states requiring their staff to use their personal leave.

$1.3 billion to prepare for possible overloaded hospital scenes as seen overseas. Equipment, 4000 intensive care beds and ventilators, 700 acute care beds and consumables including PPE worth $1.2 billion are ordered. $65 million is allocated for capital works and workforce training.

$54.9 million to support mental health measures. $17.8 million to begin the first phase of the 170 extra mental health beds recommended by the royal commission.

$10.2 million 30-bed Hope Start Centre opens in Bairnsdale, providing residential care for people with AOD issues.

Free hotel accommodation for healthcare workers who can’t self-isolate at home. Extended in July to personal care workers in private aged care.

Agreement reached with the private hospital sector that requires private bank nurses and midwives to be retained and paid an average of their historical hours worked.

Public sector nurses and midwives endorse the Andrews Government in principle EBA offer at a statewide members meeting. Outcomes that flowed to private acute members include superannuation on paid parental leave, wages, earlier access to long service leave, additional parental leave and improved access to the sixth week of annual leave.

$19.5 million to deliver royal commission mental health interim reforms and tackle pandemic impacts. Includes an additional 60 new graduate mental health nurse placements.

$4.9 million for 24 Hospital in the Home mental health beds.

Amendments to the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 introduced into parliament to protect Victoria’s maternal and child health nurses’ triple qualification. 2018 ELECTION PROMISE

$100,000 for the Her Place Museum exhibition to honour a century of nursing and midwifery in Victoria.

A second Safe Patient Care Act 2015 amendment bill in introduced into parliament. Requires a $64 million investment in 500 extra nurses and midwives. 2018 ELECTION PROMISE

Removes the 50 per cent rule from more clinical areas and shifts.

Improved ratios in medical and surgical wards, birthing suites, postnatal wards, special care nurseries, geriatric evaluation management wards and larger EDs with short stay observation areas. Staffing will also be improved in residential aged care and rehabilitation wards.

Victoria becomes the first state to pass laws establishing criminal penalties for deliberately underpaying employees.

A $300 support payment is introduced (later increased to $450) for workers self-isolating while waiting for COVID test results and who do not have access to paid leave or have exhausted their leave. A new $1500 payment is announced for workers who test positive and must self-isolate.

An additional $300,000 for the free Nursing and Midwifery Health Program (NMHPV) to provide pandemic support to nurses, midwives and personal care workers. 

Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 comes into effect.

1000 beds/spaces are created or upgraded to increase the capacity to care for COVID patients. Includes extra beds in existing health services, reopening the former Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, now known as St Vincent’s Hospital on the Park, and repurposing Epping Private.

$59.7 million for clinical and community mental health services to manage additional presentations and reduce pressure on EDs. Funding to fast-track more acute mental health beds and an expansion of the Hospital Outreach Post-Suicidal Engagement (HOPE) program.

N95 fit testing trial for public sector healthcare workers begins at Northern Hospital.

A further $250,000 for the NMHPV is announced to help nurses, midwives and carers manage the stresses of the pandemic.

Introduction of automatic acceptance of WorkCover claims within 48 hours for healthcare workers who contract COVID-19.

The Healthcare Worker Infection Prevention and Wellbeing Taskforce is established.

Mildura Base Hospital becomes a public hospital again.

$30 million to upgrade 50 public aged care facilities including those with aged care mental health beds. 2018 ELECTION PROMISE

$21 million to support the safe operation of mental health and AOD services during COVID restrictions.

Seven new Early Parenting Centres announced for regional Victoria and outer Melbourne.

$9.8 million package to introduce additional measures to reduce healthcare worker infections and increase supports. Includes a worker wellbeing centre to identify best-practice approaches to support staff fatigue and stress management.

Funding for break areas to enable physical distancing. Increased access to specialist services and support for individuals, teams and organisations. Health service grants to provide psychosocial support, peer-training models and programs to support staff wellbeing.

2020-21 (November) state budget announces $9 billion for health. $2 billion to build, expand or modernise hospitals including the redevelopment of Warrnambool Hospital and Latrobe Regional Hospital and expansion of Frankston Hospital. Funding for planning Geelong’s the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Melton Hospital and the Royal Melbourne Hospital – Arden Street precinct. $66.1 million to plan and purchase land for 10 new community hospitals.  2018 ELECTION PROMISE

$120.9 million for Hospital in the Home services.

$300 million for additional elective surgery.

$51.4 million for drug treatment and rehabilitation. Includes $3.4 million for 80 new residential beds in Corio, Wangaratta and Traralgon.

$868.6 million for mental health, including continued implementation of the royal commission’s interim recommendations. $492 million for 120 mental health beds in Geelong, Epping, Sunshine and Melbourne. $18.9 million for 25 acute beds for public mental health patients in private services. $21.4 million towards the completion of the HOPE Service statewide rollout in Albury-Wodonga, Bairnsdale, Ballarat, Broadmeadows, Box Hill, Clayton, Epping, Heidelberg, Mildura, Parkville, Shepparton and Warrnambool. 2018 ELECTION PROMISE

$7.7 million to address workforce shortages, including graduate nurses. Funding for undergraduate nurses to complete clinical placements in community mental health as part of their studies. $3.1 million for experienced nurses to undertake postgraduate mental health studies. 2018 ELECTION PROMISE

$175 million to redevelop, modernise and build public aged care facilities.

Construction starts on the $81.58 million 120-bed public aged care facility in Wantirna. 2018 ELECTION PROMISE

Planning underway for a new $134.6 million public aged care facility at Monash Health’s Kingston Centre.

Shepparton’s youth HOPE program opens.

Shepparton Hospital’s new 74-bed inpatient unit opens, including 10 critical care beds and expanded emergency facility with double the treatment spaces. This is part of Goulburn Valley Health’s $229.3 million redevelopment.

A new $55.57 million 90-bed public sector aged care facility, ‘Berengarra’ in Kew, opens. 2014 ELECTION PROMISE

Laws to make it easier to access treatment and support for work-related mental health injuries pass in parliament. Under the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Provisional Payments) Act 2020, workers who seek compensation will receive payments for up to 13 weeks for medical experiences regardless of whether their claim is approved.

Laws to decriminalise public drunkenness pass in parliament.

$1 million for public and private aged care workforce training.

Specific single-use plastics to be phased out and banned in 2023.

The mental health royal commission releases its final report and 65 recommendations. The Andrews Government reaffirms its election commitment to implement all recommendations and says it will re-build the mental health system ‘from the ground up’. 2018 ELECTION PROMISE

Six new Local Adult and Older Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing Services at Benalla, Brimbank, Frankston, Greater Geelong, Latrobe Valley and Whittlesea announced. The first three to open in 2022. Ultimately there will be 60.

$6 million for a Centre of Excellence for emergency service workers announced to provide research and evidence-based mental health support for workers and volunteers.

70 new postgraduate mental health nurse scholarships as part of the $235 million Recovery Workforce package. Includes 80 new graduate mental health nurse placements prioritised in rural and regional Victoria and 35 extra senior nurse educators to support them.

$18.7 million for the Swan Hill District Health’s ED redevelopment and expansion, bringing the total to $48.7 million.

Sunshine Hospital’s new $34.9 million ED opens with an extra 55 treatment spaces. Refurbishment of the existing ED and another 10 additional treatment spaces continues.

Public sector Creswick Nursing Home’s $3.2 million 12-bed dementia unit is completed. Work continues on an additional 11 rooms. 

Work starts on the $1.5 billion 500-bed Footscray Hospital due to open in 2025. 2018 ELECTION PROMISE

Monash Medical Centre’s new ED 35-bed opens as part of a $76.3 million redevelopment. Work continues on the existing ED to create an additional 24 beds and an extra 10 short-stay beds.

Two days special paid leave provided to public sector nurses and midwives if a COVID-19 vaccination adversely impacts their ability to work. Half a day’s leave is also available to receive a vaccination.

First vaccination centres open at the Royal Exhibition Building, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and Geelong’s former Ford factory.

15 additional regional and metro state vaccination centres open; by September there will be more than 60, plus pop-up centres.

2021-22 state budget includes $3.8 billion to start rebuilding the mental health system. Includes 3000 additional positions, $1.5 billion for community-based care and a recognisable ‘entry point’ with the first 20 of 60 new local services. $954 million to established 22 reformed area mental health and wellbeing services to replace existing services. $349.6 million for 82 forensic beds at Thomas Embling Hospital. $10.9 million for five extra acute mental health beds at South West Care in Warrnambool. $842 million for 13 area-based services to provide mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people. 2018 ELECTION PROMISE

$1.2 billion to upgrade and build more hospitals. Includes $556 million to build and expand 10 community hospitals in Craigieburn, Cranbourne, Pakenham, Phillip Island, Sunbury, Torquay, Mernda, Eltham, Point Cook and the inner south of Melbourne. 2018 ELECTION PROMISE

$94.8 million to redevelop Maryborough Hospital. 2018 ELECTION PROMISE

$98.9 million to expand the Angliss Hospital. New paediatric departments will be built at Maroondah Hospital, Casey Hospital, Northern Hospital, University Hospital Geelong and Frankston Hospital with $99.7 million.

$38.7 million to expand AOD services to build residential rehabilitation beds, boost community‑based treatment services and deliver specific services for Aboriginal people.

$57 million to build a 50-bed aged care facility in Rutherglen. Work to start late 2022 and complete by early 2025.

$842 million for 13 reformed Infant, Child and Family Mental Health and Wellbeing Centres and 13 reformed Youth Area Mental Health and Wellbeing Services.

Another $141 million for five new Youth Prevention and Recovery Care Units (YPARCs) with a total of 50 new beds in Melbourne’s north east, Barwon South-West, Gippsland, Grampian and Hume regions. YPARCs in Bendigo, Dandenong and Frankston will be refurbished.

$16 million for HOPE sites at Royal Children’s, Alfred Health, Monash Children’s Hospital and Orygen.

$16.3 million to expanding existing Mobile Targeted Assertive Outreach teams.

A Bush Nursing Pilot program to be implemented in remote locations across East Gippsland’s high country to support farming families.

Private aged care workers, including nurses and personal care workers, given priority access to state government vaccination centres across Victoria.

$13.2 million to boost ratios and improve rostering in maternity services at 38 health services.

Construction starts on a new 16-bed acute mental health facility at Barwon Health’s McKellar Centre and a $16 million Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Services Community Hub in Geelong.

Andrews Government opens the country’s first disability worker registration scheme.

$23.6 million mental health nursing workforce package that includes scholarships and an extra 150 full-time equivalent graduate mental health nurse positions and 49 nurse educators.

$255 million for the Hospital Surge Support Allowance. The per shift allowances will be paid to public sector nurses and midwives and other healthcare workers for the next four months.

Announcement to recruit an additional 1000 healthcare workers currently living overseas, including Australians wanting to return home.

$28.8 initiative to set up 20 free GP respiratory clinics.

$32 million package to support the wellbeing of exhausted healthcare workers including nurses and midwives. Initiatives to be set up by health services can include psychologists and counsellors onsite to provide proactive support additional workplace rest and recovery spaces, meal delivery to support convenient healthy eating during and after work hours, or programs to better support families.

ANMF mental health members endorse the Andrews Government’s in principle mental health 2020-24 EBA offer.

In preparation for the easing of restrictions, the government announces $307 million to maximise hospital, home and community care options. Includes $42 million for the COVID Positive Pathways program.

$6.89 million to expand and reform community perinatal mental health teams across the state.

The locations of the five new 10-bed Youth prevention and Recovery Care (YPARC) centres are announced for Ballarat, Geelong, Shepparton, Heidelberg and Traralgon.

Edenhope District and Memorial Hospital’s $6.3 million 18-bed dementia-friendly unit opens.

The mental health workforce strategy is released with an immediate $41 million for an additional 358 full-time equivalent positions.

City of Yarra, City of Greater Dandenong, City of Greater Shepparton and Castlemaine are announced as the four trial sites for a public health-based response to public drunkenness.

$100 million for an Australian-first Specialist Women’s Mental Health Service with 35 beds across Melbourne and Shepparton.

Revised position descriptions for Registered Undergraduate Students of Nursing (RUSONs) and Registered Undergraduate Students of Midwifery (RUSOMs) finalised.

A code brown is declared, providing a trigger and the ability for statewide co-ordination and prioritising of health services and patient allocation to support the workforce.

Free rapid antigen tests given to all NDIS participants and staff.

$1.4 billion for the healthcare Omicron response, including $938 million for public hospitals, $161 million for PPE, $196 to expand the COVID Positive Pathways program, and $21 million to implement the virtual emergency department program across the state following Northern Health’s successful trial.

Corio’s new 30-bed alcohol and drug residential rehabilitation facility opens.

Construction starts on the $4 million 20-bed student accommodation at the Maryborough and District Hospital for nursing, midwifery, medical and allied health students while on placement. 

A further $85 million to extend the hospital support surge allowances until 31 March. Private acute nurses caring for public COVID patients also included.

The Health and Human Services Climate Change Adaptation Plan 2022-26 is released.

The $680,000 Community Health Hub, consolidating medical and primary services, opens in Heywood in south-west Victoria.

$1.5 billion to catch up on delayed elective surgery, which includes 40,000 additional surgeries in 2023 building up to 240,000 surgeries annually from 2024. Includes $80 million for the education of 1000 nurses and theatre technicians, and education support for 400 extra perioperative nurses. Frankston Private Hospital will become a public surgery hub.

Parkville’s $12.9 million Youth Prevention and Recovery Care service opens.

Wangaratta’s new 30-bed adult drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility opens.

2022-23 state budget includes a $12 billion pandemic repair plan. Funding for the recruitment of an additional 5000 nurses and midwives, $2.3 billion to progress the upgrade and builds of the $900 million tertiary hospital in Melbourne’s west, Melton hospital, and Barwon’s Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

$236 million to expand Werribee Mercy Hospital and Casey Hospital EDs.

A further $146 million to replace and refurbish public aged care facilities, predominantly in regional areas including Mansfield, Orbost, Bright and Heywood. Funding to plan a new Mornington 60-bed aged care facility.

$1.3 billion to continue rebuilding the mental health system and workforce including an extra 400 mental health nurses. Includes an extra 82 beds at Northern Hospital and Sunshine Hospital. Acute beds to be built and opened in Shepparton, Ballarat and Wangaratta.

$36 million for a residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility in Mildura.

$10 million to open a dedicated mental health and AOD emergency hub at Latrobe Regional Hospital and plans for Ballarat, Bendigo and Shepparton.

$9.7 million Mildura Base Hospital upgrades completed.

A further $50 million for four sites trialling a health-based response to public drunkenness to continue their work to inform a statewide rollout.

Goulburn Valley Health’s new 10-cot special care nursery and 12-bed paediatric ward, expanded ED, new 12-bed maternity unit and updated birthing suite completed.

26 free GP expanded-hours respiratory clinics open as part of a $54 million plan to reduce pressure on EDs.

‘Stay Well in Winter’ community education campaign launched to slow transmission of COVID and other respiratory illnesses and ease pressure on the health system.

Construction starts on the $36 million ED and short-stay unit at Albury Wodonga Health’s Albury campus. The ED will include 42 treatment spaces. The Andrews Government is funding the $6 million 16-bed short stay unit.

The first two stages of the $23 million Wangaratta Hospital redevelopment open with the new eight-bed short-stay unit and the 12-bed ICU.

A new package to improve patient-flow system through hospitals across the state. New positions will include the state’s under-utilised nurse practitioners, additional offload nurses and discharge coordinators to support major hospital emergency departments.

Free RATs for people with a disability extended until the end of September.

Health services to receive additional funding for 1125 nursing and midwifery student employment, RUSON and RUSOM, positions from the May budget are announced.

Work starts on the $50 million Royal Children’s Hospital stage 2 expansion, including an extra 20 ED treatment spaces.

Free respirator masks distributed to the most vulnerable in the community.

Bellbird Private Hospital in Blackburn to join Frankston Private Hospital to become a dedicated public surgery facility. When fully operational these public surgery facilities will perform 5700 surgeries each year. These workforces will transfer to the public system.

$2.1 million refurbishment of NCN Health’s Irvin House in Cobram.

Aged care workforce consultation in relation to the delivery of medications as part of a review of the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2017. 2018 ELECTION PROMISE

$14.3 million to establish five new GP-led free Priority Primary Care Centres to ease the pressures on EDs at Royal Melbourne Hospital, Northern Hospital Epping, Sunshine Hospital, Monash Medical Centre Clayton, and Grampians Health Ballarat

Warrnambool Hospital’s $384 million redevelopment consultation begins with main construction work to start in early 2023.

$270 million to support undergraduate nurses and midwives, starting in 2023 and 2024, to undertake their course. Further funds will be available for working in the public sector for a two-year period after they register. 150 extra postgraduate midwifery incentive program places, postgraduate scholarships in areas of need, scholarships for ENs to become RNs, funding for 100 nurse practitioner candidates to undertake their masters, and the development of a statewide nurse practitioner employment plan in public and community health. $20 million for more clinical educators, support nurses/midwives and preceptors. The program will fund the recruitment and education of 17,000 nurses.

25 free urgent care centres in partnership with GPs to ease pressure on EDs and provide faster treatment for people with urgent, but non-critical conditions. Ten centres will be established to partner with Frankston Hospital, Bendigo Hospital, Casey Hospital, Albury Wodonga Health, Austin Hospital, Alfred Hospital, Dandenong Hospital, Latrobe Regional Hospital, Werribee Mercy Hospital and Box Hill Hospital. Another 10 locations to be announced.

The new Mental Health and Wellbeing Bill passes parliament. The new Act includes clauses to ensure mental health nurses’ right to be safe at work and workloads are considered as part of the implementation of the new law. 2018 ELECTION PROMISE

New Frankston Public Surgical Centre opens.

Barwon Health’s McKellar Centre’s new 16-bed acute mental health facility opens.