Victorians continue to face long ambulance wait times, with it taking more than than 15 minutes for paramedics to respond to one in three critical dispatches.
New data released by the state government shows while there was a slight improvement in ambulance response times from January to March, the health system is still buckling under pressure.
Paramedics were called to 92,413 Code One cases in the January-March quarter, with 65.2 per cent responded to within 15 minutes.
Despite the five per cent improvement on the previous quarter, it is still significantly lower than the 2014 response rate of 73 per cent.
Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said there was still room for improvement.
“While we are seeing improvements across the board, we know there’s more to be done, so we will continue to deliver the staff, services and infrastructure Victorians need to get the care they deserve,” she said on Tuesday.
The Victorian government previously said the COVID-19 pandemic was to blame for soaring demand for health-care services.
It has spent billions of dollars to improve the system, including a $26 million package to add 40 mobile intensive care paramedics across the state, increasing the total to 640.
Ambulance Services Minister Gabrielle Williams said the state is committed to reducing ambulance wait times.
“Our paramedics work incredibly hard, and we’ll continue to back them with more ambulances, more staff, more training and more equipment so they can keep doing what they do best – saving Victorian lives,” she said.
– AAP
