Paramedic response times have improved in the Barwon region after record demand for ambulance services at the end of last year eased through January-March 2023.
Response times were down across the state, due to reduced demand and fewer staff furloughed due to COVID-19.
The Greater Geelong area recorded 4671 Code 1 first responses in January-March, down 5.3 per cent from 4935 in October-December 2022.
Average response time for Code 1 emergencies in Greater Geelong dropped by a minute since last quarter, averaging 13 minutes 48 seconds compared to a state average of 15:20.
Greater Geelong also outdid most of the rest of the state in percentage of Code 1 responses in 15 minutes or less, recording 72.1 per cent compared to the Victoria-wide average of 65.2 per cent.
Ocean Grove-Barwon Heads had the fastest response times in the Barwon region with an average of 12:51, nearly a minute faster than October-December, while Geelong had the highest percentage of responses in 15 minutes or less with 75.6, a 2.4 per cent improvement this quarter.
While Code 1 first responses decreased by nearly 8000 statewide, Colac Otway Shire bucked the nearly universal trend, seeing a 20 per cent increase to 292 incidents this quarter, with response times increasing by 50 seconds to 19:25.
Although an average of nearly 54 Ambulance Victoria staff were sidelined every day between January and March due to COVID-19, the number of staff furloughed decreased from a peak of 112 on January 5 to a low of 29 on February 21.
Ambulance Victoria Acting Executive Director Clinical Operations Michael Georgiou said along with reduced demand, the drop in staff furloughed due to COVID-19 at Ambulance Victoria made a real difference.
“This helped speed up the handover of patients at hospitals and allowed us to get back on the road quicker to attend to more life-threatening emergencies,” Mr Georgiou said.
“However, now is not the time to be complacent. We know demand is already rising again and will continue to do so as we head towards winter.”
