AMBULANCE response times in Melton are getting longer and putting lives at risk, according to Melton Labor MP Don Nardella.
He said documents obtained by the opposition under ‘freedom of information’ revealed that response times for life-threatening emergencies in Melton had increased by 13 minutes.
A spokeswoman for Health Minister David Davis disputed the claims and said the minister would not comment until the opposition provided source documents.
The data obtained under FOI compared the 2009-10 financial year with the 2011 calendar year.
Mr Nardella said paramedics performed well, but extreme pressure was stretching them to the limit.
“These figures reveal that ambulances are taking longer to reach car accidents and heart attack victims in need of life-saving assistance.
“We know that the speed in which a patient reaches hospital can affect a patient’s chances of recovery,” he said.
Ambulance Victoria regional manager Simon Thomson said response times could be affected by traffic, road and weather conditions, distance required to travel, demand for ambulance services, hospital transfer times and availability of crews.
“They are not the only measure of a quality ambulance service. We continue to see improvements in the more important measures of whether people live or die — and the quality of their life — for cardiac arrest, heart attack, stroke and head trauma patients.”
Mr Thomson said research showed that survival rates for cardiac patients continued to improve across the state.
