Local response times steady despite winter demand
Winter was busy for local paramedics.
Ambulance Victoria said in Bass Coast, response times and number of cases remained relatively stable for the July to September quarter, with 59 per cent of Code-1 calls answered within the mandated 15 minutes.
Winter was busy for local paramedics with Ambulance Victoria saying there was a 2.8 per cent increase in demand, and state-wide the busiest first quarter on record.
During July to September, in Gippsland crews responded to 6181 Code 1 cases- which is 2.06 per cent more than three months ago (6056).
In Bass Coast, response times and number of cases remained relatively stable, with 59 per cent of Code 1 calls answered within the mandated 15 minutes.
For Code 2 cases, the average response time rose to 45:15 minutes, compared to 42:39 in the previous quarter.
The biggest improvements in the Gippsland Region were in the major population centres of Sale and Bairnsdale and the East Gippsland Local Government Area.
Gippsland Regional Director Ross Salathiel said the support of the community can also help save lives - "if you need help but it's not life-threatening, we encourage you to consider the most appropriate care for your situation".
"Our paramedics are focused on reaching the sickest patients first - but every day, about one in five calls to Triple Zero (000) do not need an emergency ambulance response," Mr Salathiel said.
"Getting the right care fast can make all the difference and means more paramedics are on the road for people who need our urgent lifesaving care the most."
"There are many options people can access when they need timely medical care and health advice, at any time of the night or day - but not an emergency ambulance or calling Triple Zero (000), including the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED), Urgent Care Clinics, Nurse-on-Call, GPs and pharmacists."
AV's Triage Services team - staffed by nurses and paramedics - also plays a vital role by connecting people with the right care and freeing up ambulances for life-threatening emergencies.
Between July and September alone, the Triage Services team redirected 49,353 non-urgent calls to Triple Zero (000) away from an emergency response.
Since its launch in October 2020, more than 85,000 patients have been referred to the VVED for appropriate online emergency care, and more than 673,000 patients have benefited overall from this free, 24/7 service.
In a life-threatening emergency always call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
AV Q1 performance data, including LGA data, can be found at: http://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/our-performance
