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Ambulance Victoria

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Ambulance Victoria

Ambulance Victoria (AV) is the state ambulance service for Victoria, Australia, and a statutory agency of the Department of Health. AV provides pre-hospital emergency care and ambulance services throughout Victoria and some border towns. Ambulance Victoria was formed on 1 July 2008 with the merger of the Metropolitan Ambulance Service (MAS), Rural Ambulance Victoria (RAV), and the Alexandra District Ambulance Service (ADAS).

Ambulance Victoria provides emergency medical response to more than 5.9 million people in an area of more than 227,000 square kilometres. During 2015–2016, Ambulance Victoria responded to 843,051 cases.

The service is funded by fees for the cost of transport and treatment by paramedics, with paid memberships entitling holders to free services. Private health insurance or compensation providers such as the Transport Accident Commission or WorkCover may cover out-of-pocket costs, however Australia's universal health insurance scheme (Medicare) does not fund ambulance services.

A formal ambulance service began in Victoria in 1883. Over the years services were provided by St John Ambulance, Civil Ambulance Service and a multitude local area ambulance services.

In the 1980s the Metropolitan Ambulance Service was formed from a number of smaller area services; and 16 regional services were amalgamated into five. In 1997, the rural services were consolidated to one rural service, Rural Ambulance Victoria.

On 22 April 2008, Premier John Brumby and Health Minister Daniel Andrews announced a record funding boost of over $185m, including two new helicopter services, 26 new ambulance stations and over 300 new paramedics. In addition, it was announced that the way the state's ambulance services work was to be changed with Metropolitan Ambulance Service and Rural Ambulance Victoria becoming one organisation, Ambulance Victoria. On 26 May this decision was confirmed, with the consolidated service commencing operation on 1 July 2008.

Ambulance Victoria is required under the Ambulance Services Act 1986 (Vic) to respond rapidly to requests for help in a medical emergency; provide specialised medical skills to maintain life and to reduce injuries in emergency situations and while transporting patients; provide specialised transport facilities to move people requiring emergency medical treatment; provide services for which specialised medical or transport skills are necessary and foster public education in first aid.

Ambulance Victoria's primary function is to respond to emergency incidents and its secondary function is medical transport (non-emergency) requests. Emergency Incidents are responded to by paramedics, Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedics, Air Ambulance paramedics and if in a regional area also by Ambulance Community Officers (ACO) employed on a casual basis and volunteer Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) or by Remote Area Nurse (RAN) from a bush hospital. Ambulance Victoria has more than 260 ambulance branches located across Victoria.

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