By Molly Magennis
Ambulance response times in Maribyrnong have increased beyond the recommended time as Victorian paramedics have responded to their busiest quarter on record.
Ambulance Victoria’s (AV) latest performance data for the period between January and March this year has revealed that the average response time for code one incidents, which includes all life-threatening incidents, was 15 minutes and 27 seconds, slightly above the recommended average response time of 15 minutes.
This was a significant increase from the previous quarter, which recorded an average wait time of 13 minutes and 53 seconds.
This jump was further reflected in the data which showed that 69 per cent of emergencies in Maribyrnong were responded to in under 15 minutes, a decrease from the previous quarter (74 per cent).
These increases can be attributed to the number of call-outs in the area, which rose by 157 when compared to the same period last year (1125 compared to 968).
Residents in Hobsons Bay on average, are having to wait for 14 minutes and 55 seconds for an ambulance to respond, a slight increase from the previous quarter’s average response time (14 minutes and 34 seconds).
Ambulance Employees Australia Victoria (AEAV) secretary Brett Adie said that paramedics are being pushed “beyond acceptable levels” in order to keep the service going.
“They are fatigued and burnt out,” he said.
“They were asked to sacrifice more prior to COVID and that has just increased with the impact on caseload and staff being exposed to COVID.”
“Many ambulance workers are finding that they need to limit their exposure to work to provide themselves with an opportunity to recharge their batteries.”
The state-wide average response time to code one cases was 15 minutes and 15 seconds.
