Coalition wants Victoria to 'lead the world' in youth mental health care

Victorian Coalition pledges youth mental health focus if elected in November In short: The Victorian Coalition has committed to building a youth mental health facility at Parkville if elected at the state election in November. It would also launch an independent review into the implementation of Victoria's mental health royal commission which concluded in 2021. The Coalition has also promised to expand the number of patient transit lounges at Victorian hospitals to ease pressure on hospital emergency departments. The Coalition has promised to boost investment in youth mental health if elected to government in Victoria, in a third consecutive day of health pledges. Shadow Minister for Mental Health Emma Kealy said five years after Victoria's mental health royal commission, many people were waiting too long or "reaching crisis point" before getting the care they needed. If elected, the Coalition would commission an independent review into the implementation of the royal commission's recommendations "Our mental health reset is about fixing those fundamental problems — finding out what has and hasn't been delivered, where the money has gone," Ms Kealy said. "We want Victoria to lead the world in youth mental health care." The Coalition also promised to invest $5 million to masterplan a new, standalone youth mental health facility at Parkville. The facility would host up to 50 specialist inpatient beds for people aged 12 to 25, alongside prevention and recovery care. Labor claims Coalition seeks to 'Americanise' health Under another Coalition plan announced this week, patients ready to leave hospital waiting on medication, transport or other discharge arrangements would be moved to a dedicated area rather than staying in the emergency department. Several major hospitals already have the lounges, including the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Victorian Liberal leader Jess Wilson said moving patients who are ready to leave out of inpatient wards would free up beds and reduce overcrowding. "Victorians shouldn't be stuck waiting for hours in an emergency department because a hospital bed is being occupied by someone who is ready to go home," Ms Wilson said. "This will improve the flow of patients through our hospitals and help reduce ambulance ramping which has become out of control under this Labor government." The latest quarterly figures by the Victorian Agency for Health Information showed one in three patients were not being treated at an emergency department within the recommended time. Still, the Australian Medical Association's annual report card of public hospitals said Victoria leads the nation in the ratio of urgent emergency department patients seen on time and reported 69 per cent of patients were seen within 30 minutes. Health Minister Ingrid Stitt dismissed the Liberals' announcement and said it would not create more capacity for patients. "All the Liberals have announced is they won't deliver a single nurse or open a single bed in our public hospitals," Ms Stitt said. Ms Wilson said the new or larger transit lounges would prioritised for hospitals where ambulance ramping was most severe. She said the fund would cater for additional staff and extended operating hours where lounges already exist. Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier said: "After years of mismanagement under Labor, emergency departments are stretched beyond capacity and the pressure on doctors, nurses and paramedics is unsustainable." The announcement follows a Coalition pledge to slash wait times for elective surgeries by allowing Victorians to undergo procedures at private hospitals. Premier Ben Carroll backed his government's record on health, and told 774 ABC Melbourne on Monday he was proud of the fact Labor had delivered 12 new hospitals in Victoria during its time in power. He criticised the oppositions's health policies, saying the Coalition and One Nation were threatening to "Americanise" Victoria's health system with privatisation. The government committed $58.4 million in the 2025-26 budget over two years to "improve hospital patient flow and reduce ambulance ramping", but did not announce any new funding to reduce emergency wait times in its budget this year. [Image text:] trains & seats. ERAL TORIA New Trains Melton idham TORIA