The Andrews Labor Government is making sure our front line health workers have the support and skills they need to identify and respond to the signs of family violence.
Thousands of hospital staff across the state will be trained to identify and support patients experiencing family violence, through a $38.4 million investment in the Victorian Budget 2017/18.
This funding delivers on recommendation 95 from the Royal Commission into Family Violence that requires a ‘whole-of-hospital service model’ for responding to family violence in public hospitals within three to five years.
It will see all health services provide training for workers to notice the warning signs, inquire sensitively, respond respectfully and connect victims to family violence services.
Health services will develop response procedures, so they have the right processes in place to make sure that patients who are the victims of family violence don’t fall through the gaps.
This will mean our doctors, nurses and other health care workers will be able to identify patients experiencing violence sooner, and get them the help and support they need, faster.
Family violence can result in serious and long lasting health conditions, and is a leading contributor to death, disability and ill health for Victorian women aged between 15 and 44 years.
Putting in place a hospital wide system response will not only improve health outcomes for people experiencing violence, it will help save lives.
This initiative will see the Government’s Strengthening Hospital Responses for Family Violence pilot – that has already seen 14 health services and their workforce trained in how to identify and respond to family violence – expand to every health service in the state.
Quotes attributable to the Premier Daniel Andrews
“Doctors and nurses are often the first people victims turn to – or the first to see the signs.”
“That’s why we’re making this investment – we know it will help victim survivors and save lives.”
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Health Jill Hennessy
“Equipping our health care workers with the right skills to identify and respond to family violence will save lives.”
“Our hospitals and health care workers have a real role to play in responding to family violence and helping victims get the support they need.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020