Ambulance Victoria is testing a specialised ambulance for stroke victims.

The ambulance, to be trialled in Melbourne, will have a CT scanner on board as well as a stroke nurse, radiographer and two paramedics.

The State Government says the $1.5 million ambulance will be able to treat up to 3,000 patients a year, operating within 20 kilometres of the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

The CT scanner can be used to send images of the patient's brain from the ambulance neurologists at the hospital almost immediately.

Royal Melbourne Hospital's director of neurology, Professor Stephen Davis, said it is a “revolution”.

“This is the cutting edge. We're moving the hospital to the patient,” he said.

“We can treat the patient faster. Every minute two million brain cells are lost, so it's a race against time.”

International studies have shown that special stroke ambulances can save up to 45 minutes in treating a patient.

“The golden hour, the first 60 minutes is the key statistic,” Professor Davis said.

“We can only treat 2 or 3 per cent within the golden hour now, with this [the ambulance] we can treat up to 40 per cent.

“If we can get the patient early and we can dissolve the blood clot that's causing the stroke, it can make the difference between someone ending up with severe paralysis or speech impairment requiring assistance for day-to-day living, versus someone that can go home.”

The ambulance will be on the streets from November 20.