VVED Diabetes Service recognised for innovation and impact
The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) Diabetes Service was recognised at the 2025 IPAA Victoria Leadership Awards in August, winning two award categories.
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The VVED Diabetes Service won the Designing Services for People Award for adopting a people-centred approach to achieve better public outcomes. Putting the ‘public’ into public service.
The service also won the People’s Choice Award, which celebrates exceptional projects or initiatives as recognised by peers in the sector. The award was open to all finalists, allowing voters to commend work conducted by the people for the people.
VVED Diabetes received 120 of the over 700 total votes to take home the People’s Choice Award.
Launched in July 2024, the VVED Diabetes Service is Australia’s first dedicated virtual emergency diabetes service, transforming how Victorians with diabetes access urgent care.
Developed by Victorian Virtual Emergency Department at Northern Health and the Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations (ACADI) in partnership with Ambulance Victoria, Diabetes Victoria, and the Royal Australian Flying Doctors Service, the service enables people with diabetes to receive timely specialist care from the safety of home.
Lived experience shaped every stage of design and delivery, with strong consumer involvement through Diabetes Victoria and ACADI’s Community Advisory Committee.
In its first six months, the service supported over 860 Victorians, with an 82.5% diversion rate, keeping people out of busy Emergency Departments while delivering care in a median time of just 12 minutes.
Targeting priority populations, including First Nations communities and people in rural areas, the VVED Diabetes Service is already demonstrating positive health outcomes, high patient satisfaction, and system-wide cost-effectiveness.
This pioneering model is now being evaluated as a blueprint for diabetes emergency care across Australia.
Britt Denton
Communications and Media Lead
Brittany Denton is the Communications and Media Lead at Diabetes Victoria. She oversees media relations and communications, contributing to the organisation’s mission of supporting people with diabetes across the state.
