Highly respected former Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay APM has been appointed Chair of the new Board of Ambulance Victoria.
Mr Lay will take on the role from 1 December, overseeing and managing Ambulance Victoria’s service delivery, quality and performance until mid-2018.
Mr Lay has extensive skills, knowledge and experience in emergency services, and the Government looks forward to him continuing the vital reform and modernisation of Ambulance Victoria to ensure Victorians can get the care they need, in a timely way.
Joining the police force in 1974, Mr Lay had a heralded career that saw him head up the State’s world class road safety programs, and implement significant cultural and structural change at Victoria Police as Chief Commissioner.
He was Victoria Police Chief Commissioner for three years, and is the current Chair of the National Ice Taskforce. Mr Lay also chairs the Council of Australian Governments Advisory Panel on reducing violence against women and their children. Over many years, Mr Lay has provided extraordinary leadership and guidance on 15 Boards or Councils, including the Community Council on Crime and Violence, the Australian Crime Commission, and the Blue Ribbon Foundation.
The selection of the remaining Ambulance Victoria Board members is underway, and Mr Lay will be involved in the final selection process. A full Board is expected to be in place before the end of the year.
The Andrews Labor Government is committed to providing Victoria’s hardworking paramedics the respect and recognition they deserve, and supporting them to do what they do best, which is saving lives.
After the election, one of the Labor Government’s first steps was to pave the way for cultural change by replacing the previous board of Ambulance Victoria with an Administrator. The Government also established the Ambulance Performance and Policy Consultative Committee which is finalising its recommendations to improve the service performance and culture of Ambulance Victoria. The Committee’s Final Report will be provided to the Government by the end of the year.
Already, significant changes have been made over the last ten months, and the Labor Government invested an extra $99 million in ambulance services in the 2015-16 Victorian Budget to deliver more ambulance services, upgrade ambulance branches, and provide new and replacement vehicles and equipment.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Ambulance Services Jill Hennessy
“Mr Lay’s exceptional experience, integrity and strong commitment to the community makes him an ideal appointment as Chair of the new Board of Ambulance Victoria.”
“Mr Lay has driven improvements in governance and organisational change at Victoria Police, turning it into one of the most pre-eminent police forces in the region, and I know he will do the same at Ambulance Victoria.”
“Already, in the past ten months, we’ve seen improvements in our ambulance services – the culture is better, the workforce is better supported, and response times are improving. But, there is more to do, and Mr Lay is the right person for the job.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020