Adult Retrieval Victoria

Adult Retrieval Victoria (ARV) is responsible for coordinating the inter-hospital transfer of critically ill or injured adult patients across Victoria.

The ARV Coordination Centre is staffed 24 hours a day. A dedicated retrieval call taker and consultant clinical coordinator are available at all times to provide clinical advice, coordination, and support.

ARV retrieval teams are staffed by doctors, critical care registered nurses, paramedics and patient transport officers. They work in close collaboration with all Ambulance Victoria (AV) clinical skill sets to ensure the safe, effective and timely care and transport of critically unwell patients.

Patients may be transported using:

• Road ambulances
• Speciality complex patient ambulances
• Fixed-wing aircraft
• Rotary-wing aircraft (helicopters)

ARV is also a vital component of the Victorian State Trauma System, contributing to the coordinated response and management of major trauma across the state.

ARV services

ARV provides:

• telephone and telehealth advice and assistance regarding the clinical care of critically ill patients
• emergency retrieval services for time-critical and critically ill adult patients across Victoria (and neighbouring states where necessary)
• coordination of bed access and inter-hospital transfer for critically ill adult patients requiring admission to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), High Dependency Unit (HDU), or Coronary Care Unit (CCU), or transfer to a facility capable of delivering a critical intervention or procedure
• initial contact and coordination of the management, referral, and retrieval of major trauma patients to the most appropriate Trauma Centre.

ARV may also assist with time-critical patients who are not being referred directly to a critical care unit, particularly when routine referral mechanisms have failed. Examples include:

• neurosurgical emergencies
• vascular emergencies
• complex medical or surgical patients who are deteriorating and likely to require critical care

Contacting ARV

Health professionals who believe a patient may require ARV services are encouraged to contact ARV as early as possible.

ARV promotes an early activation approach to enable timely transfer and access to definitive care.

Electronic referral

Routine referrals to ARV can be submitted electronically via the ARV referral form on the REACH platform (login is not required). This form may be completed by the referring physician, nurse or clerical staff with access to the patient’s medical records.

Resources