Thursday, 3 August 2017

Code 1 ambulance response times across Victoria hit 81 per cent in the last quarter – an improvement of six percentage points on the same period last year and the best June quarter result on record.

The Andrews Labor Government’s elective surgery blitz has also delivered, with an end of year waitlist of 36,839 – a phenomenal result given two additional health services have been added to the list last year. If these services had not been added, our waitlist would be the lowest on record and 1,747 lower than last year’s record result.

Despite record demand for emergency, elective surgery and ambulance services, more Victorians are receiving faster care across the system.

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Jill Hennessy today released the latest ambulance and hospital performance data.

Locally, West Gippsland Healthcare Warragul has:
• Seen 5,546 people in emergency between April and June 2017 compared to 5,397 in the same period in 2016.
• Treated 100 per cent of the 3 category 1 emergency patients immediately on arrival between April and June 2017.
• Received 990 ambulance arrivals in the June quarter compared to 945 in the previous quarter.
• Reduced the number of patients on the elective surgery waiting list from 446 to 338 over the past year.
• Provided operations for 96 per cent of all elective surgery patients within the benchmark times in the June quarter, well above the state average of 90 per cent.

In the Baw Baw Shire, ambulance response times are improving, with 60.4 per cent of ambulances now arriving within 15 minutes for Code One emergencies, up from 48.7 per cent compared to the same time last year.

That means the average response time for an ambulance to reach the scene of a Code One emergency in the Baw Baw Shire has improved from 17:50 minutes to 15:17 minutes.

Improved performance across the state is a result of reforms over the past 18 months and the Labor Government’s $500 million plan to improve ambulance responses times, employ 450 paramedics, buy new vehicles and build more ambulance stations to meet the growing needs of the Victorian community.

Our record investments in health and hospitals are also delivering better care, sooner for Victorians.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Jill Hennessy:

“We are making sure more Victorians – no matter where they live – get the care they need faster.”

“Our ambulance and health services are in the frontline giving patients the first class care they need and deserve, when they need it.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Harriet Shing:

“Our paramedics are getting to patients faster – when only minutes stand between life and death for some of our patients.

“Our elective surgery blitz is making a real difference with more patients coming off waiting lists and into the operating theatre sooner.”