Below are handy summaries of some of the Allan Labor Government’s health programs and projects in Melbourne’s Eastern Suburbs and across Victoria.
You can click on the policy headings for more information.
If you have questions about any of these projects, please get in touch on 03 9887 0255 and shaun.leane@parliament.vic.gov.au.
Chemist Care Now (Community Pharmacy Program)
Chemist Care Now enables Victorians to receive some treatments at a local pharmacy without needing to see a doctor to get a prescription first.
Pharmacies will be able to help with resupply of the contraceptive pill, treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections, allergies, type 2 diabetes, asthma, ear infections, smoking cessation support and minor wound care, with more conditions added over the next two years.
The Government covers the cost of consultation fees – allowing you to access Pharmacist care for free.
Urgent Care Clinics
We’re providing healthcare to people who need urgent care but not an emergency response. Urgent care clinics provide free care 7 days a week, open early to late.
You do not a Medicare card, or an appointment or a referral from your GP.
Find your local urgent care clinics in:
| Clinic | Forest Hill Urgent Care Clinic | Maroondah Medicare Urgent Care | Heidelberg Medicare Urgent Care | Eltham Medicare Urgent Care Clinic |
| Address | 490 – 524 Springvale Road Forest Hill VIC 3131 |
Mountain High Shopping Centre, Shop 30, 7/13 High Street Bayswater VIC 3153 |
152 Burgundy Street Heidelberg VIC 3084 |
1170 Main Road Eltham VIC 3095 |
| Phone Number | 03 8804 1940 | 03 9344 6888 | 03 9000 9276 | 03 9439 2222 |
Virtual Women’s Health Clinic
We’re offering free, expert medical advice, treatment and care for women’s health needs. The Virtual women’s health clinic is now open to all Victorian women and girls of any age.
Click the link (the title) or call 1300 003 224 to access the service.
Victorian Virtual Emergency Department
The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) connects you with an emergency doctor or nurse via video call from your computer or mobile phone.
The VVED is a free, 24/7 statewide service with no referral required.
GPs can help with ADHD
We’ve improved access for Victorians to get help with ADHD. GPS can now diagnose patients with ADHD and prescribe ADHD medication. Additionally, the VVVED can provide short-term access to ADHD prescriptions for people with an existing ADHD diagnosis.
Smile Squad dental vans
We’ve established the Smile Squad – delivering free oral health promotion, dental check-ups and treatment to Victorian government school students at school.
Public Fertility Care program
Public Fertility Care is now available to eligible Victorians who want to start or grow their families. Public Fertility Care provides access to people who have limited access to private services, and when fully operational will offer IVF, intrauterine insemination, fertility preservation, donor services and other fertility treatments and support.
Ambulance Services
We’re backing paramedics by building and upgrading 48 ambulance stations, part of an over $2 billion investment into ambulance services. We’ve increased the Ambulance Victoria workforce by more than 50%, getting you better emergency care, whilst reducing Ambo’s workload.
Mental Health
We’ve delivered 22 Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals, including in Maroondah. Locals provide free, community-based mental health care for individuals aged 26 and over.
Women’s Healthcare
We’ve invested $153 million in improving women’s health services. This includes establishing a new Children and Adolescent Clinic at the Royal Children’s Hospital and providing free Green whistles for pain relief during IUD procedures.
Improving the number and conditions of nurses
We’ve hired 17,000 more nurses and midwives and built 11 hospitals.
This has enabled us to improve nurse-to-patient ratios by delivering more nurses in more hospitals. This provides better, safer care for Victorians, whilst reducing workload stress on our hardworking nurses, preventing burnout and enabling us to retain the workforce.
We have also delivered a 28.4% pay raise for nurses.
Free nursing and midwifery study
Find out about the free nursing and midwifery initiatives, which include degrees and postgraduate study.
To help us build a stronger workforce we’re offering scholarships and support to train and upskill the next generation of nurses and midwives.
These new initiatives are designed to support the recruitment and training of 17,000 nurses and midwives who will help respond to current healthcare demands and increase future capacity.
These initiatives will increase support across the workforce to build and retain a supply of nurses and midwives so Victorians can access high-quality healthcare when and where they need it.
Planning underway for an upgraded Maroondah Hospital
The new hospital in Ringwood East will improve access to world-class healthcare for Melbourne’s outer east communities.
The Queen Elizabeth II Hospital is one of the seven key projects delivered through the Hospital Infrastructure Delivery Fund.
The Victorian Government established the fund through a $320 million investment in the 2023-2024 Victorian Budget.
The Queen Elizabeth II Hospital is a complete redevelopment and expansion of the existing Maroondah Hospital. The renaming is in honour of the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The hospital will help meet increased demand from growing outer east communities. This includes through delivering:
- a new emergency department
- a dedicated kid’s emergency department
- a new mental health hub
- operating theatres
- day procedure facilities
- specialist care spaces
- expanded medical imaging unit
- two six-storey inpatient towers
- more than 200 extra beds.
Once complete, the hospital will be able to treat an extra 9,000 in-patients each year. The redevelopment and expansion will also provide more modern and comfortable spaces for patients and staff.
Austin Hospital Emergency Department Expansion Project
The $275 million investment at the Austin will add up to 29 extra emergency treatment spaces.
This boosted capacity means more patients can be treated faster. The hospital will support an extra 30,000 emergency patients every year. This will help ensure the hospital can meet the needs of the growing local population.