$698 million announced for home-based care program

Mr Andrews announced $698 million to expand the Better at Home scheme for 15,000 patients to access home-based care each year, in addition to telehealth check-ups.

The program allows patients to access nurses, clinicians and allied health professionals at home.

“Julie is not just a fantastic nurse but someone who is a friend of our family now,” he said.

“For the best part of five months she cared for me when I was part of the Better at Home program.

“That meant the world to me and to (wife) Cath and to the kids to be able to be home, to recover, to get well, to get fit and healthy so that I could be back here doing this amazing job.

“I can’t thank Julie enough so I will thank her again and all of her colleagues.

“They do amazing work, their care and compassion are second to none.”

Health Minister Martin Foley said the program will free up the equivalent of 358 hospital beds by the time the program is embedded in 2025.

“It will require the bringing on of the 300 additional staff,” Mr Foley said.

“That’s the equivalent of an entire Footscray new hospital being delivered across our healthcare system.

“In addition to that, it will make sure that we reduce the length of stays in the hospital, in the tertiary bricks-and-mortar part.”

A further $3.6 million will also be invested to continue the delivery of the Transitional Care Program, which assists patients with disabilities transition from hospital beds to community-based accommodation while their NDIS package is pending.

Mr Foley said about $2.1 million will be invested in a pilot Aboriginal virtual specialist clinic.

The aim of the clinic is to provide culturally appropriate health care and clinicians across rural and regional areas.