Demand breaks record

By Lachlan Ellis

Ambulance Victoria has reported a record number of Code 1 cases for the third quarter in a row, with cases up by 16 per cent compared to the same time last year.

COVID-19 continues to put unprecedented pressure on the health system, with 97,928 Code 1 cases responded to by Ambulance Victoria from April to June this year – the busiest quarter in history.

During that time, 64 per cent of Code 1 cases were responded to within the state-wide average response time of 15 minutes.

Ambulance teams in Moorabool haven’t been spared the extra workload either, with a 25.4 per cent increase in potentially life-threatening Code 1 cases in Moorabool Shire over the past year.

Ambulance Victoria Grampians Regional Director, Chris James, said health workers were doing their best to keep up with demand.

“We’re working hard to relieve pressure in the system with more paramedics on the road and more resources at Grampians Health Ballarat to help offload patients faster,” Mr James told the Moorabool News.

“We remain very busy, attending 1,800 to 2,000 cases a day, and continue to ask the community to help us by saving Triple Zero (000) for emergencies.”

Interim Chief Executive, Felicity Topp, echoed Mr James’ request, urging the community to make sure they were only calling Triple Zero for emergencies.

“Our paramedics are working extremely hard to manage the increasing demand while prioritising care to the sickest Victorians. 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,” Ms Topp said.

“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.”

A service called the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) is also available, connecting patients to emergency physicians or nurse practitioners if transport to hospital is unnecessary.

“Thousands of patients have been able to be safely treated in their own homes. This is about ensuring patients get the right care at the right time, that better meets their needs. A recent Victorian Government boost to double the VVED’s capacity means many more patients will avoid unnecessary transport to hospital Eds, which are continuing to experience record demand for care,” Ms Topp said.

A record 700 paramedics were recruited in Victoria in 2021, with a further 404 recruited so far this year to help get more ambulances on the road.

Locally, the Ballan ambulance branch was upgraded in June 2021 to provide 24-hour coverage whilst in Bacchus Marsh, a new $3m ambulance station was built and completed in 2020.