Ambulance response times for region released

PARAMEDICS in the Barwon South West region responded to 7,230 Code 1 cases in the past quarter, according to new data from Ambulance Victoria (AV).

In the Borough of Queenscliffe, paramedics attended 65.6 per cent of Code 1 patients within 15 minutes – up from 54.7 per cent a year earlier and the biggest improvement in the state, meaning paramedics are arriving one minute and 36 seconds faster.

Compared with a year earlier, Code 1 response times decreased by 47 seconds in the Colac Otway Shire and two minutes and 12 seconds in the Corangamite Shire.

The City of Greater Geelong was the second busiest municipality in the state, with paramedics attending 4,860 Code 1 cases between October and December – representing 4.87 per cent of the total Code 1 workload.

Across all of Victoria, there were 99,799 Code 1 emergencies between October and December.

“We know there is more work to do. AV continues to work with hospitals to promptly transfer patients and ensure all Victorians receive the right care at the right time,” AV Barwon South West regional director Ian Hunt said.

“More new paramedics have also hit the road to help meet demand. Since last November, we have welcomed 84 new graduate paramedics to our ranks and a further 15 new recruits will start soon including qualified paramedics from New South Wales, Queensland, the Northern Territory and New Zealand.

“Our people are our greatest assets. It is through them that we continue to lead the way in patient care including one of the best cardiac arrest survival rates in the world.”