From April 1 to June 30, 2021, the average response time for code one ambulance callouts, including all life-threatening incidents, was 21 minutes and 56 seconds across 171 cases.
Demand for emergency care increased 55 per cent in the region, compared to the same time last year.
At last week’s Indigo Shire Council monthly meeting, Mayor Jenny O’Connor said it was “unacceptable” that Indigo Shire continues to be one of the worst performers in the state for ambulance response times.
“I do want to thank our paramedics, community ambulance officers and our community response team for doing everything they can within their limited resources to provide the best service they can,” she said.
“This is no reflection at all on the work of our amazing paramedics and volunteers to try and keep us safe but clearly there is an issue with resourcing.”
Cr Bernard Gaffney recounted an incident relayed to him involving a Beechworth couple who wished to remain anonymous.
“I got a phone call from a person in Beechworth who said that his wife awoke him in the middle of the night with severe chest pain. He managed to get her to his car and went to Beechworth Health where he rang the emergency button,” Cr Gaffney said.
“The response wasn’t as he hoped at that stage, and he rang triple 0 for an ambulance.
“The nurse at Beechworth Health did everything she could to comfort the victim at that point and spoke to the ambulance as well
“The ambulance had to come from Wodonga, and he seemed to think it took over an hour to arrive and convey her to the Wangaratta hospital.
“What is concerning to me is with people waiting that length of time, instead of waiting for an ambulance, they will take their relative, neighbour or whoever is injured straight to hospital in their private car. It’s not a very good look for Indigo Shire.”
Cr Diane Shepheard said she hoped recent additional resourcing to Chiltern and Beechworth would be reflected in future reports. The Beechworth branch converted from single paramedic to dual paramedic crewing, while the Chiltern team converted to a single paramedic on call location with Ambulance Community Officer support.
“I agree with Cr Gaffney. Something needs to be done. We cannot be in the worst in the state, there is no reason for that, we are hardly remote,” she said.
The extra demand for emergency care is being felt across the entire state with paramedics attending 84,441 time-critical cases in the last quarter, the highest demand on record for this time of year, and the second highest quarterly result in Victoria’s history.
Hume acting regional director Narelle Capp said the Victorian healthcare system, like the public health system across Australia, is currently experiencing enormous pressure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Paramedics are continuing to experience record demand for life-saving care, attending a record number of time-critical cases between April and June,” she said.
“In the Indigo Shire, demand for Code 1 care increased by 55 per cent compared to the same time last year.
“We are investing in the Indigo Shire to better meet the needs of the community.
“In July, the Beechworth branch was upgraded to a dual paramedic crew and just last month, the Chiltern ACO branch was upgraded to a single paramedic plus Ambulance Community Officer (ACO) model.
“In times of high demand, the existing Chiltern ACO crew may work alongside the paramedic /ACO crew, providing increased coverage for the community.
“We have recently recruited an additional Senior Team Manager to oversee resourcing and support the delivery of best care across the shire.
Ms Capp added that resources will soon be added to Yarrawonga in the neighbouring LGA, which is expected to reduce the need for crews based at Chiltern to respond.
“We welcome the Victorian Government’s recent $759 million package which will be used to bolster paramedic resources and implement other demand easing initiatives,” she said.
“This funding will help address the workload and demand challenges we have today and meet the ever-more complex needs of the community into the future.“We also need to be realistic. This is not an overnight fix. The challenges we face are complex, however we have a clear plan and significant state government funding to improve our response performance.”
State Member for Northern Victoria Tania Maxwell recently called on Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley to improve ambulance response times.
“I have spoken numerous times in this Parliament about the pressure on ambulance services in northern Victoria, including a very sad, recent case in my electorate where an aged-care resident waited 90 minutes for an ambulance, a delay which was attributed directly to hospital ramping,” she said.
“These bottlenecks are placing enormous strain on our health workforce.
“Speaking with healthcare workers, they tell me of the challenges of staff shortages and trying to find ways to discharge more patients safely to free up beds.
“They do an incredible job in an already pressured environment.
“The Australian Medical Association warned in July that our hospital systems cannot cope with a flu epidemic, let alone a COVID epidemic, in what was described as an ‘acute public health disaster’.
“Yet the point of Victoria’s first lockdown early last year was to prepare our health system to cope, and 18 months later we seem to be in no better position.”
Earlier this year, in an effort to overcome the state-wide crisis, the Victorian Government announced $759 million to fund a range of initiatives across emergency departments, hospitals and ambulance services, tailored to the particular needs of each service.
The 2021-22 Victorian Budget also included $266 million to support Ambulance Victoria with additional paramedics, expanded secondary triage services and more non-emergency transport capacity.
Another $204.3 million will bolster Ambulance Victoria’s resources through programs like Telehealth and will deliver ongoing operational improvements across the state.
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