I am pleased to present to the Victorian community our Operational plan for 2022–23. It sets out a bold vision for Victorians to be the healthiest people in the world. This shared vision shapes our decisions. It’s our north star.
The pandemic has accelerated innovation and helped us to embrace new ways of providing care. It has also highlighted the importance of a connected health system. One where the department, clinicians, consumers, and providers work together united by a common goal.
Central to a connected health system is our health workforce – whose skilled members have borne the brunt of the pandemic but have remained unfailing in their dedication and kindness.
As Victorians adapt to living with COVID-19, we turn our focus to building a stronger health system. At the forefront of this is the need to support our health workforce – our nurses and midwives, doctors, allied health practitioners, paramedics, clerical and administrative staff, laboratory and technical staff, catering and cleaning staff – through investment in training, recruitment, and boosted psychological and wellbeing support.
We know better patient experiences and outcomes are achieved when a service is developed and operated by the people who use it. And so we are committed to listening to the voices of consumers, carers and their families and supporters to ensure lived experience is at the heart of our health care planning, design, and delivery. One terrific example of co-design in action is our Mental Health Beds Expansion , led by our Health Infrastructure group.
We also know that prevention is better than cure. Keeping people healthy and well by preventing health issues before they start is better for everyone. And where health issues do start, we will act fast and early by making community care accessible, and where possible, closer to home.
We remain steadfast in our commitment to support self-determination and Aboriginal-led decision making across health and wellbeing. This work is spearheaded by our department’s dedicated Aboriginal Health group, under the leadership of our Chief Aboriginal Health Advisor Nicole McCartney (Yorta Yorta), in partnership with Aboriginal health services and community.
Our department is ready to hear truth-telling from the Yoorrook Justice Commission, and to understand how we can contribute to healing, and supporting a locally developed, culturally informed health system that empowers Aboriginal people as we together strive to achieve health equity.
Our state is rich in diversity and stronger for it. It is important that every single Victorian can access high quality health care when they need it, regardless of who they are, where they live, their language, cultural background, sexual orientation, or circumstance.
We will address inequities in accessing timely healthcare by developing new models of care, bolstering care in the local community, and applying an intersectional approach to ensure all Victorians can access the health care services they need.
Euan Wallace
Secretary
Reviewed 31 August 2022