Tania Maxwell MP says the state government’s near half billion-dollar investment surge in Ambulance Victoria and emergency despatch services is failing communities in almost every Northern Victorian local government area.
The Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party Member said Ambulance Victoria performance data for July-September quarter released yesterday showed the service on average got to a code one call-out patient inside its 15-minute target in just two of the 27 local council areas in her electorate.
“Compared with the June quarter, much the same data is showing up in every respect, “Ms Maxwell said.
“It isn’t safe.
“Ambulance Victoria’s emergency response times in Indigo communities remain the worst in the state.
“It’s dedicated paramedics are getting to a code-one patient in Indigo 37 seconds faster, on average, than in the June quarter.
“But the service is only meeting the inside 15-minute target 22 per cent of the time. And it’s taking 4.26 minutes longer than a year ago.
“Across the communities that I represent, it takes an average 30.16 minutes to reach a code one patient in Buloke shire, 29.02 minutes in Towong, 27.31 minutes in Loddon, almost 27 minutes in Yarriambiack, almost 26 minutes in Strathbogie, almost 25 minutes in Indigo, and 24.37 minutes in Murrindindi.
“Performance has worsened in Towong, Loddon, Yarrriambiack, Murrindindi, Gannawarra, Alpine and Campaspe.
“The improvements have been only marginal in Indigo, Buloke, Hepburn and Moira, better in Mansfield, Macedon Ranges, Benalla, Whittlesea and Swan Hill, and good in Mildura.
“Country people are only too well aware of the reality and tyranny of distance.
“But the hundreds of millions of dollars pumped into Ambulance Victoria, recruitment and more emergency despatchers in the past six months is not changing our communities’ expectations and experience for the better.
“In August I encouraged the government to work harder and smarter to fix worsening ambulance emergency response times across Northern Victoria.
“But no-one in regional and rural Victoria is seeing the radical shift that would actually put more qualified paramedics and ambulance emergency vehicles on the ground where we live.
“We all want to live in fair, just, safe communities.
“The state can ramp up investment in home care services, community paramedics, Country Fire Authority trained firefighter first responder services, and community campaigns to inform all of us how and when to use triple zero.
“But this government risks lives by doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results.”
