FAQs
Who is ARV, or Adult Retrieval Victoria? (and what do they do?)
Adult Retrieval Victoria is a department of Ambulance Victoria (AV). ARV provides:
- Telephone advice and assistance for critically ill patients
- Coordination and medical support of adult emergency medical retrieval services for critically ill patients
- Facilitated access to critical care units and critical care bed monitoring (including accessing private beds when no public beds are available)
- Management of the state wide Trauma Referral and Advice Line (1800 700 001)
What improvements will AV introduce to the service?
Improvements to the adult retrieval service will be developed in a three-tiered process:
- Immediate (upon transition)
- Short Term (within twelve months)
- Long Term (three year service improvement plan)
Some of the initial improvements that have already been implemented include:
- Establishing centralised system governance
- Agreements between AV and the Department of Human Services (DHS) and regional retrieval services
- Increasing management capacity of the service
- Improving critical care bed access arrangements
- Improvment communications arrangements
- Single phone number
- 24-hour, 7 days a week call answer resourcing
- Teleconferencing and voice recording
What number do I call?
The number for adult retrieval services is 1300 36 86 61
When do I call Adult Retrieval Victoria?
ARV is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide clinical advice and/or coordinate and provide retrieval for critically ill patients.
If I am in a regional area with a patient in need of retrieval, who do I call?
AV assumes responsibility for adult retrieval services across the state including regional Victoria. The number for adult retrieval services is 1300 36 86 61.
Who do I call if I have a trauma patient requiring retrieval?
For all trauma patients requiring retrieval contact 1800 700 001.
Who is the ARV coordinator and what do they do?
Critical care coordinators provide clinical advice by telephone about critically ill patients, and liaise with major Victorian hospitals on the availability of critical care beds. These doctors are emergency specialists, intensive care physicians and anaesthetists.
What is the role of the retrieval physician?
Our retrieval specialists are experienced doctors who accompany a patient from the source hospital to the destination hospital. These doctors are mostly emergency specialists - intensive care physicians and anaesthetists also perform the role.
How do I become a Critical Care Coordinator or Retrieval Physician?
If you are interested in joining the ARV team, please contact the Ambulance Victoria Careers Department via human.resources@ambulance.vic.gov.au.