Ash Bolt
Ambulance Victoria’s latest performance data has shown the health system is under significant pressure, with ambulance call-outs for life-threatening matters increasing by more than 10 per cent across Geelong.
The performance data for the July to September quarter showed Ambulance Victoria received 3900 code one call-outs, which require a lights and sirens response, across the City of Greater Geelong.
The figure is a 12.4 per cent increase on the same time last year and an 18.3 per cent increase on the previous year, before the pandemic.
The Surf Coast Shire saw a 23.4 per cent increase in code one call-outs over the same period, up from 299 in 2020 to 369 in 2021.
Paramedics attended more than three-quarters (77.2 per cent) of code one call-outs in Greater Geelong within the benchmark of 15 minutes, but that was lower than the 81.7 per cent for the same period a year earlier.
The average response time to code one patients was 12 minutes and 45 seconds.
Response times were faster within Geelong, with ambulances reaching 80.8 per cent of code one patients within 15 minutes with an average response time of 12 minutes and eight seconds.
Leopold had the city’s best results, with 83.1 per cent of code one calls reached within 15 minutes with an average response time of 11 minutes and 26 seconds, an improvement from 12 minutes and 20 seconds in the quarter prior.
“Here in Barwon South West, we are dealing with an extraordinary workload, which is also being experienced by crews right across the state,” Ambulance Victoria barwon south west regional director Tim Maywald said.
“We continue working closely with hospitals in the region to free up ambulances, getting them back out on the road as quickly as possible.
“To help with demand and improve response times, we will soon be adding new resources in the region including a medium acuity transport service (MATS) in Geelong and Belmont.”
MATS provides care for less serious code two and three patients, “to free up ambulances to respond to the most critical cases”, Mr Maywald said.
Ambulance Victoria chief executive Professor Tony Walker said the data was not surprising given the level of demand being experienced right across the state as the COVID-19 pandemic continued.
“The entire healthcare system across Australia is under sustained pressure and our paramedics and first responders are experiencing this first-hand,” Professor Walker said.
“Along with increasing numbers of COVID-19 positive patients, demand has quickly rebounded to levels prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the lockdowns.
“Performance also been impacted by … people who have delayed visiting their GP or specialist during lockdown now finding themselves more unwell and needing urgent care.
“We are asking every Victorian to work with us by saving triple-0 for emergencies by calling Nurse-On-Call (1300 60 60 24) for immediate health advice or seeing your GP or pharmacist early for advice or treatment.”
