Ambulance wait times across regional Victoria continue to fall well below Ambulance Victoria standards, with all six LGAs within the Euroa electorate failing to meet the official response time targets.
Ambulance Victoria standards are to have 85 per cent of responses to Code 1 incidents (the most serious and life threatening) achieved within 15 minutes, a number they are falling well short of in regional areas.
In the Strathbogie Shire, just 36.6 per cent of responses were achieved within 15 minutes, with the Mitchell Shire (51.9 per cent), Benalla (58.7), Greater Bendigo (61.5), Campaspe (57.9), and Greater Shepparton (71.9), all failing to meet the target.
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Annabelle Cleeland, said these issues stemmed from a lack of support and investment in regional health by the Allan Labor Government.
“The issues within our ambulance services and response times are a symptom of a government that has neglected our healthcare system for too long,” Ms Cleeland said.
“The stark reality is that our regional health services are really struggling, and this is particularly prominent when looking at our ambulance system.
“Without further investment from Government, our regional health care system will continue to fail, and people will suffer.”
A parliamentary inquiry into the performance, workplace culture, and procurement practices of Ambulance Victoria is still seeking submissions from the public, with both employees and patients encouraged to contribute.
The Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee will inquire into issues involved with call taking, dispatch, ambulance ramping, working conditions and workloads of paramedics, allegations of fraud and embezzlement, governance and accountability and the general workplace culture within Ambulance Victoria.
Ms Cleeland encouraged anyone that has experience with Ambulance Victoria to have their say.
“This inquiry is a fantastic opportunity for people to share their stories about our ambulance system, whether it be paramedics that are concerned with their working conditions or patients that have had a bad experience,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Having heard from both paramedics and patients in our region, it has been made abundantly clear that something has to change.”
The full terms of reference for the inquiry are available on the committee’s website, including information on how to sign up to email alerts and to find out how to make a submission.
Submissions will close on the 28th of February, 2025 with public hearings to be scheduled once submissions are closed.
