Ambulance Victoria is failing to meet its 15-minute response targets in Melton and Moorabool, but says its performance in the region is improving significantly each year.
Only 51.8 per cent of Code 1 (time critical) call-outs in Moorabool were responded to in under 15 minutes – the state government benchmark – in the past financial year. The average response time for the 1561 Code 1 call-outs was 16.41 minutes, according to Ambulance Victoria’s annual report.
While response times and rates were slightly better in Melton – 69.3 per cent of Code 1 call-outs were responded to in under 15 minutes, with the average response time being 13.46 minutes – Ambulance Victoria metro west director Anthony Carlyon conceded more needed to be done to meet targets and community expectations.
He said demand for services in Melton and Moorabool had increased in the past three years, but paramedics were responding to Code 1 call-outs faster.
“In 2012-13, our average response time for Code 1 cases in Moorabool was 18 minutes, 42 seconds,” Mr Carlyon said.
“This has [been] significantly reduced, with average Code 1 response times in 2015-16 down to 16 minutes, 41 seconds.”
He said paramedics responded to an extra 1660 Code 1 cases in Melton in the past financial year compared with 2012-13.
“However, our Code 1 response time has significantly improved by more than two minutes on average – from 15 minutes, 52 seconds in 2012-13, down to 13 minutes, 46 seconds last year,” he said.
“This improvement would not happen without the reforms we are undertaking.
“We’ve got new vehicles, new and upgraded branches and dispatch grid reform, which ensures patients get the most appropriate care for their condition.”
Nearby municipalities Brimbank and Wyndham fared much better, with 78.7 per cent and 72.6 per cent, respectively, of Code 1 call-outs being responded to within 15 minutes.
The state government last year released the Working with paramedics to end the ambulance crisis report, which revealed ambulance response times for Code 1 call-outs had increased substantially since 2008.
The report stated there was a need for better integration of ambulance services and the broader health system, better support for paramedics at Ambulance Victoria and improvements to ambulance call and dispatch systems.
