Code black: Hospital patients out on the street after being refused treatment
Victorian hospitals are reportedly refusing treatment to patients with a history of violence, leaving them untreated on the streets. Paramedics have raised concerns that these exclusion notices, known as 'not welcome lists', compromise their safety and that of the patients. The state government has promised to address these issues but has not convened a relevant roundtable since November 2025.
- ▪Patients with a history of violence are being brought to emergency departments but are ejected by security guards without treatment.
- ▪The Victorian government has established an anti-violence roundtable but has not met since its initial gathering in November 2025.
- ▪Paramedics report that exclusion notices put both them and patients at risk, as they are unaware of which patients may be banned from hospitals.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Sydney Morning Herald.