There is no quick fix for a pervasive "boys club" culture within Ambulance Victoria, the state's human rights commissioner concedes.

The final report in the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission's review into workplace equality at Ambulance Victoria, released on Thursday, found white, able-bodied men have been favoured for promotions.

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Ongoing structural and attitude barriers are impeding access to promotion and progression for female and diverse workers, it said.

Ambulance Victoria stereotyped paramedic job applicants as "white, male, of able-body and mind, confident, stoic, and the family breadwinner" in recruitment processes, limiting opportunities for those who did not fit that mould.

The report revealed some job openings, including senior roles, were not advertised and some staff were instead tapped on the shoulder to fill those vacancies.
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"It's very much a boys' club," a review participant said.

"You'll probably hear lots of stories over the next few weeks around nepotism and people getting promoted because they're mates with the guy who's in charge."

Operational staff found pervasive and negative attitudes toward flexible work applications, while others reported no comprehensive strategy for transition to retirement.

Another review interviewee said a good resume meant nothing when it came to promoting staff, saying "they'll pick who they want, it's notoriously corrupt."

Acting Ambulance Victoria chief executive Libby Murphy said the corruption assessment was worrying.

"It concerns me that people think that way," she told reporters, conceding the service had likely lost staff because the poor internal behaviour.

The VEOHRC first review released in November found bullying and harassment deeply entwined in Ambulance Victoria's culture, with employees being raped and driven to self harm.

Ambulance Victoria has accepted the commission's 19 latest recommendations, including advancing equal pay, disrupting stereotypes, removing career advancement barriers, and embedding flexibility into long-term workforce planning.

VEOHRC also called on the service to proactively increase diversity and the number of women in senior roles, although no specific targets have been set.

Women have only worked within Ambulance Victoria for the past 35 years and a major structural overhaul would not be a quick fix, commissioner Ro Allen said.

"It's not about band-aiding and sticking on things to the structure ... it's about pulling down the structure and starting again so that Ambulance Victoria is exclusive for everybody," they said.

The cultural reckoning at Ambulance Victoria comes as the state continues to deal with COVID-related health staff shortages and a crisis within its triple zero call-taking system.

On Tuesday night, a code red was called by Ambulance Victoria for two hours due to hospital ambulance ramping and high demand.

A review of the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority led by former Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton was due to deliver findings and recommendations to the government early this year.

But there have been more than a dozen reviews into the service since 2014, the Herald Sun reports, at a cost of more than $15 million.

"We don't need more reports, we need action," opposition spokesman for emergency services Brad Battin said.

The Victorian government has repeatedly said COVID-19 has contributed to issues with the emergency call-taking service, with up to 12 Victorians dying while waiting for an ambulance since October.

It has committed $115.6 million to hire an extra 120 ESTA staff by mid-2023.

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