Localised ambulance response times won’t be released to the public, despite growing concerns over delays and shortages in Melbourne’s outer suburbs.
Opposition health spokesman Wade Noonan said Labor’s freedom of information request for figures for the first half of this year had been denied.
He said the release of localised response times was recommended by the state auditor-general in 2010.
“The community should have access to the figures to understand response times, as it [helps] to advocate for improvements,’’ Mr Noonan said. He said waiting times in the outer-west continued to grow and were contributing to deaths.
In Melton, there have been three deaths since October 2012 where patients have waited longer than 15 minutes for an ambulance. Lilliana Mizzi, 78, waited four hours for an ambulance after having a stroke. Brodie Wilson, 18, waited 27 minutes for paramedics to come from Sunbury after having an asthmatic attack. And Matthew Gibbs, 23, waited 16 minutes after having a cardiac arrest at a Melton recreation centre on October 8. The most recent localised figures released, for July-December 2012, showed the average waiting time for life-threatening cases in Melton was 14.13 minutes.
Hillside’s average waiting time of 15.38 minutes was above the state benchmark of 15 minutes for ‘‘code one’’ cases.
Ambulance Victoria chief executive Greg Sassella said he didn’t think releasing localised figures would help.
“I don’t think it’s [waiting times] a secret, as it’s in our annual report and other releases. It [releasing figures] creates an incorrect premise of how we operate.”
Ambulance Victoria group manager Tony Elliott said the service was increasing resources in Melton.
“In April this year, an extra night-shift ambulance and paramedics were added to Melton and extra peak-period ambulances and paramedics were also added to Caroline Springs, Werribee and Bacchus Marsh,’’ Mr Elliott said.
“Additional staff and ambulance resources for periods of peak demand will also be added to Melton, Werribee and Sunbury by April next year.”
