The latest quarterly figures released last week show that from April 1 to June 30, only 20.6 per cent of first responders to code one calls arrived within 15 minutes.
The average time it took for an ambulance to respond to a code 1 call in the region was 25 minutes and 35 seconds.
‘Code one’ refers to an incident that requires urgent paramedic and hospital care, based on information available at time of call. Patients’ lives are more likely in danger and receive a “lights and sirens” response.
Indigo Shire Mayor Bernard Gaffney said the figures were “unacceptable” and called for more resources and trained personnel.
“We all know that the health service in Victoria is in crisis, however it shouldn’t be that Indigo Shire has the worst code one ambulance emergency response time in the state,” he said.
“We cover 2,040 square kilometres, and have a population of over 17,000 and have thousands of tourists visiting particularly with the snow resorts nearby.
“Heart attacks and strokes are time critical as to whether you survive or not. We have two ambulances and three paramedics in the shire, and we have a number of Ambulance Community Officers who do an amazing job. This is a resource issue.”
Mayor Gaffney met with Member for Northern Victoria Tania Maxwell last Friday to discuss the crisis.
“Tania will raise our issues in parliament this week and has already made an appointment to meet with the new Minister for health.”
Ms Maxwell said it was time for the state government to “work harder and smarter” to fix worsening ambulance emergency response times across northern Victoria.
“Paramedics are doing their absolute best to respond to these critical emergency calls, so why are response times between March and June going backwards in 21 of 27 local government areas… between one year and the next?” Ms Maxwell asked.
“The government is ploughing hundreds of millions of dollars into recruitment, training and more emergency call-takers, but communities are yet to see any significant improvements in performance response and our resolute, hard-working paramedics remain under sustained pressure.
“I’ve brought to ministers’ and parliament’s attention many times the challenges my communities face with Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority call-handling, ambulance emergency response times, hospital ramping and how community paramedics and first-responder services could be supported to reduce the strains on our health system.
“In a letter late last month I encouraged new health minister Mary-Anne Thomas to consider how the government could alleviate demand on our ambulance and hospital services.
“I again advocated for public investment in community paramedic services like HMS Community, already working in central Victoria and the north east to keep people out of emergency queues and boosting the Country Fire Authority first responder pilot to deal with code one call-outs until an ambulance arrives.
“These are practical solutions. They work. We risk lives by doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results.”
Responding to the data, Ambulance Victoria Hume Regional Director Narelle Capp said data for the fourth quarter of 2021/22 showed response continued to be impacted by soaring demand, the wide spread of the Omicron variant, sicker patients who have deferred care, and staff furloughing.
“There are no signs of demand slowing down through winter. COVID-19 continues to pose a high risk to Victorians and will do some for some time,” Ms Capp said.
Across the state, ambulances were called to 97,928 Code 1 cases from April to June this year – making this quarter the busiest in Ambulance Victoria’s history and third consecutive record-breaking quarter.
Between April and June, just 64 per cent of Code 1 cases were responded to within the state-wide average response time target of 15 minutes. The state-wide average response time to Code 1 cases was 15 minutes and 49 seconds.
Ms Capp said Ambulance Victoria was working hard to relieve pressure in the system with more paramedics on the road and more Ambulance Victoria Offload (AVOL) teams to rapidly transfer patients to hospital care.
“These teams, established as part of our pandemic response efforts to improve patient flow at the ambulance and hospital interface, are now being expanded to 14 public hospitals and a further five are in planning across Victoria,” Ms Capp said.
“They are made up of paramedics and nurses who receive handover of suitable patients after triage, allowing ambulance crews to get back on the road faster.
“Meanwhile, a record 700 paramedics were recruited in 2021 and a further 404 paramedics have already been recruited this year to help get more ambulances on the road, including 50 in the Hume Region.”
Ambulance Victoria Interim Chief Executive Felicity Topp asked the community to help by saving Triple Zero (000) for emergencies.
“Our paramedics are working extremely hard to manage the increasing demand while prioritising care to the sickest Victorians,” Ms Topp said.
“However, from April to June 42,525 callers to Triple Zero (000) did not need an emergency ambulance and were instead connected by paramedics and nurses in our Secondary Triage team to more appropriate care.
“While ambulances are always provided to patients when required, about one in five calls to Triple Zero (000) do not need an emergency ambulance response.
“GPs and pharmacists can provide non-urgent care and Nurse-On-Call (1300 60 60 24) offers free medical advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, if your condition is not life-threatening.
“Some people hesitate to call 000 because they are not sure if their situation is an emergency. If in doubt, always call Triple Zero (000) and the trained call-taker will help and direct you.
“Despite our current challenges in this COVID-19-environment, Ambulance Victoria continues to deliver safe and high-quality patient outcomes.”
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