Australia’s first ever Paramedic Practitioners are one step closer to hitting the road, with the Allan Labor Government introducing a Bill into the Victorian Parliament to enshrine the role into law.

Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Ambulance Services Mary-Anne Thomas joined paramedics in North Melbourne to announce that the Paramedic Practitioners Bill 2024 will allow qualified paramedics to deliver a higher level of care to patients when and where they need it.

The new specialised role will give graduates an expanded role – allowing them to independently deliver urgent care to reduce pressure on Victoria’s busy ambulance services and emergency departments.

Under the expanded role, Paramedic Practitioners will be able to assess, diagnose and treat many conditions locally without the need to transfer patients to hospital.

The biggest change will see Paramedic Practitioners able to handle and administer scheduled medicines, so they can prescribe and supply medicines like antibiotics on the spot to Victorians.

The first cohort of 30 paramedics are currently undertaking the nation-leading Paramedic Practitioner master’s degree at Monash University – with a second cohort set to begin the course next year.

Developed alongside Ambulance Victoria, Safer Care Victoria, paramedics, clinicians, and unions, the first 30 students will be deployed to regional Victoria in 2026.

Once graduated, they’ll be able to treat conditions that commonly see people visit a hospital – including urinary catheter care, wound care and closure, minor infections, dislocations and fractures.

The Victorian Budget 2023/24 invested $20 million to establish the role of Paramedic Practitioner, including delivering the new degree at no cost to eligible paramedics who have more than five years’ experience.

Since 2014, the Labor Government has invested more than $2 billion into ambulance services – recruiting more than 2,200 additional paramedics, delivering 41 new or upgraded ambulance stations and establishing a new Centre for Paramedicine in partnership with Victoria University.

The Government is also supporting the training of 40 additional Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedics with AV welcoming their largest cohort of MICA trainees in history.

These investments are as important as ever, with the latest quarterly data revealing Victoria’s hardworking paramedics continue to face high demand, attending close to 100,000 Code 1 call outs.

Quote attributable to Premier Jacinta Allan

“This is a big deal: the first paramedics in Australia who can deliver advanced on-the-spot care and prescribe antibiotics – saving many Victorians a trip to hospital.”

Quote attributable to Minister for Ambulance Services Mary-Anne Thomas

“We listen to our workforce who told us Australia’s first Paramedic Practitioners will make a huge difference – they’ll have advanced skills that will help people right across regional Victoria.”

Quote attributable to Member for Melton Steve McGhie

“Victoria continues to lead the nation in innovative models of care. Australia’s first ever Paramedic Practitioners will have an advanced skill set that will reduce hospitals admissions and take pressure off busy emergency departments”