Department of Health's Health Services Plan

The Department of Health’s Health Services Plan announcement: 8 August 2024

HealthShare Victoria (HSV) welcomes the publication of the Department of Health’s Health Services Plan which sets out key reforms and recommendations to help ensure Victoria’s public health sector is fit for purpose to meet current and future challenges.

The Plan is the result of a detailed examination of Victoria’s health service system by a five-member Expert Advisory Committee, including two outgoing foundation HSV Board members, Chair Mr Lance Wallace and Professor Christine Kilpatrick.

The Victorian Government has accepted in full or in principle 26 of the 27 recommendations proposed by the Expert Advisory Committee to deliver a stronger and more connected public health system and ensure patients can get the care they need in their own communities.  

A strong focus of the Health Services Plan is to increase statewide services where efficient, cost effective or practical, and to support health services to reduce non-clinical duplication and strengthen partnerships with other hospitals.

“Drawing on HSV’s role since our establishment in 2021 to support statewide procurement, purchasing, supply chain surety and logistics for Victoria’s public health sector, we look forward to continuing work with our health service and government partners to support recommendations outlined in the Plan,” says HSV Chief Executive Neil Rodaway.

“We support further work to scope and implement statewide services that drive improved patient outcomes, benefits and cost savings for Victoria’s public health services in line with our strategy.

“In particular, we look forward to engaging with new agency Hospitals Victoria, to be led by Northern Health CEO Siva Sivarajah, whose role is to help hospitals work together on functions that could be consolidated and streamlined, such as back-office operations,” says Neil.

“We are pleased that the Plan recommends to consider the benefits and risks of statewide versus decentralised approaches for new and existing services or systems. This is a pragmatic approach that recognises the unique characteristics of Victoria’s decentralised health sector structure,” Neil says.

The Plan also aligns with HSV’s focus on delivering increased benefits and cost reduction for health services while seeking to balance the provision of services at regional level where possible to help support the economic prosperity of local communities.

Neil Rodaway
Chief Executive