Paramedics and first responders across Victoria have experienced their busiest quarter on record, with teams in the Barwon South West Region attending over 7,550 Code 1 emergencies.
Jessica McGowan, the Regional Director for Ambulance Victoria (AV) in Barwon South West, reported a 6.8% increase in demand, translating to 483 more Code 1 cases compared to the previous year.
“The entire health system remains extremely busy due to seasonal illnesses such as flu, COVID-19, and RSV,” McGowan said.
“Our dedicated paramedics and first responders in Barwon South West provide exceptional care daily despite record-breaking demand.
It’s crucial for everyone to use alternative care options when possible to keep our skilled paramedics available for those in urgent need.”
From April to June 2024, AV responded to more than 102,000 Code 1 cases across Victoria, surpassing the previous record of 100,238 cases set in late 2022.
McGowan noted a significant increase in “lights and sirens” cases compared to the same period last year and a 35.2% rise from five years ago, before the pandemic.
During this quarter, paramedics responded to 64.2% of Code 1 cases within the statewide target of 15 minutes, with an average response time of 15 minutes and 37 seconds. Performance improved in 55 of Victoria’s 79 Local Government Areas (LGAs), with notable improvements in Queenscliffe, Greater Geelong, and Colac Otway.
Key regional highlights include:
- In Warrnambool LGA, 80.9% of Code 1 patients were attended to within 15 minutes, the best result in the state.
- Greater Geelong LGA was the second busiest, with paramedics attending 5,111 Code 1 cases, accounting for 4.99% of the state’s total workload.
- In Greater Geelong, paramedics attended 73.4% of Code 1 patients within 15 minutes, an improvement from 70% the previous year, with response times 13 seconds faster despite a 7.1% increase in demand.
- Response times decreased by 21 seconds in Queenscliffe LGA and 51 seconds in Colac Otway LGA over the past year.
Danielle North, Executive Director of Regional Operations, emphasized AV’s ongoing efforts to monitor demand and ambulance availability, work with hospitals to expedite patient transfers, and adjust ambulance dispatch protocols based on clinical data. North also highlighted the importance of using alternative care pathways for non-emergency medical needs.
“Connecting with the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED), local Priority Primary Care Centres (PPCCs), GPs, pharmacists, or Nurse-On-Call can provide timely medical care without needing an emergency ambulance,” North said. “In the last quarter, 41,704 people who did not need an emergency ambulance were redirected to appropriate care by AV’s Secondary Triage team.”
In 2023/24, paramedics referred over 30,000 patients to the VVED, with 9,574 referred following assessment in Secondary Triage.
North stressed the importance of staying up to date with flu and COVID-19 vaccinations to help reduce demand on paramedics.
For more information on routine winter vaccinations or finding your nearest PPCC, visit the Better Health website at www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au.
Latest AV response time data: Response times, April 1 – June 30, 2024.