AMA Victoria recently met with senior executives from the Victorian Department of Health, as we do on a regular basis, to discuss pressing issues for doctors and the health system. The Department has issued its own update, which members can read here. Below is AMA Victoria’s summary of the matters most relevant to members - including GROSS, emergency department security, workforce wellbeing, the Health Services Plan, Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals, and pharmacy prescribing - together with our advocacy priorities. We thank the Department for its engagement and ongoing dialogue.
 

GROSS initiative- mandatory training duplication

Progress is being made on our GROSS initiative, with the first step focused on reducing duplicative mandatory training through consistent recognition of prior learning. The Department is working with health services to agree on common learning outcomes for core modules such as hand hygiene, cybersecurity, occupational violence and OHS. This is a welcome development, but broader reform is still needed- particularly streamlined onboarding and credentialing processes that remove duplication across health services.
 

Emergency Department security

Emergency departments remain high-risk environments, with regular reports of weapons, including knives and firearms, being brought in. Current arrangements leave staff exposed: there is often no dedicated, ED-based security presence, and clinical staff are relied upon to manage aggression without adequate support. Purpose-built safe spaces are rare, entry screening is inconsistent, and there are no standardised safety design requirements.

AMA Victoria continues to call for a consistent statewide approach. This should include embedded security staff, minimum design standards, and a clear system-wide framework for violence prevention. While the Department points to existing guidance and resources, what is needed are enforceable minimum standards, backed by clear accountability across the system.

Medical workforce wellbeing

Findings from recent surveys, together with the Department’s workforce consultations, confirm what members consistently report: stress and burnout are widespread, and bullying, harassment, discrimination and career insecurity are major drivers of attrition. Doctors-in-training are particularly affected.

Action is needed on three fronts:

• Preparing health service boards and executives to meet new psychological health regulations coming into effect later this year,
• ensuring safe workloads and staffing through sustainable funding and appropriately resourced EBAs, and
• cutting administrative load through reforms such as GROSS.

We welcome the Doctors’ Wellbeing Taskforce, noting its stated focus on safe working-hour practices. Members now need clarity on its remit, timelines and how system policy will translate into concrete, statewide changes- with accountability and monitoring.
 

Health Services Plan

Victoria’s new Local Health Service Networks are now in place, designed to improve coordination and resource use. Members have raised concerns about duplication, poor coordination with primary care, and persistent digital health gaps, with some hospitals still reliant on paper and fax while others have electronic records.

Embedding clinical leadership in governance and referral pathway decisions will be critical if the Networks are to deliver on their promise of more integrated care.
 

Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals

Members have reported confusion about the role of Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals, particularly around referral criteria and their integration with existing services. AMA Victoria has stressed the need for strong clinical governance, transparent referral pathways, and clear links with primary care to ensure continuity of care. The Department has committed to developing a stakeholder pack for GPs, which we support.
 

Community Pharmacist Program

The rapid expansion of pharmacy-based prescribing remains a concern. While improving access is important, safe care depends on medical-led pathways. AMA Victoria has made clear to the Department that pharmacy-initiated prescribing carries significant risks- including fragmented records, missed preventive health opportunities, and patient safety issues- and we continue to oppose its continuation and potential expansion.