Victoria's hospital-at-home pilot aims to ease pressure on beds, speed up care, and make recovery more comfortable for patients across the state.

In a state-first pilot, Victoria is trialling the delivery of remote, specialist hospital care for patients at home.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Austin Health have been chosen to lead the six-month pilot, which will include remote monitoring for treatment such as heart failure and post-cardiac care. The program will commence in December.

To avoid patients having to travel for specialist attention, the pilot will also partner with regional and rural health services providers.

Commenting on the program, Premier Jacinta Allan said the scheme was designed to assist patients in better recovering in the comfort of their own home and around family.

"We don't just want to give Victorians the best health care in the world; we want that care to be easier, cheaper, and faster to access," Allan said.

A total of 250 patients -- people who would have otherwise been treated as admitted hospital inpatients -- will participate in the pilot to deliver at-home care with remote check-ins across Victoria, including regional areas.

Expectant mothers who live in regional Victoria will also be eligible to participate in a virtual foetal monitoring service to avoid trips to Melbourne.

As part of the program, foetal scans will be captured by local services and passed on to imaging specialists at The Royal Women's Hospital for real-time virtual consultations.

The pilot is part of a wider plan that will see the expansion of the Royal Melbourne Hospital's Digital Coordination Centre, using real-time data to improve how quickly patients are seen by directing ambulances to hospitals that are less busy.

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said the program would help to ease pressure on hospital bed vacancies and free up more paramedics to respond to health emergencies.

"This pilot is going to make it easier for patients to get the care they need ... We're giving people the care they need, freeing up beds and getting our paramedics back on the road sooner," she said.

The capacity of the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department was boosted in this state budget, which allocated $437 million to permanently establish the fund supporting so-called 'hospital in the home' care.

The government plans to conduct an evaluation of the pilot in June 2026, with the findings expected to inform what it says will be "a new generation of hospital care of technology and collaboration".