LIVES could be at risk in Melbourne’s west as the area faces losing a crucial ambulance response unit.
Footscray is on the verge of losing its only mobile intensive-care ambulance (MICA), a unit deployed to serious emergencies so paramedics can reach the scene as quickly as possible.
The MICA 3 ‘single responder unit’ may be moved as far as Port Melbourne after Ambulance Victoria was evicted from its Eleanor Street base near Western Hospital, effective January 1.
Information obtained under freedom of information shows the MICA 3 unit responded to 814 Code 1 life-threatening call-outs up to June this year.
Ambulance Employees Australia state secretary Steve McGee said the unit was the second-busiest in Melbourne and its relocation could lead to tragedy.
“You are looking at an extra 10 or 15 minutes’ response time if they have to come from Port Melbourne. It’s a major concern and will put patients’ lives at risk.”
Mr McGee criticised Ambulance Victoria for failing to find a solution to keep the unit in Footscray and called on the government to provide extra funds so it could stay.
He said response times would be particularly impacted when cross-river traffic was heavy.
“This also puts our paramedics and the general public at risk, having the units spend more time under emergency conditions.”
Williamstown MP Wade Noonan said he was appalled at the prospect that residents in the west could have the unit ripped out of the community.
“It is absolutely reasonable for the community to be asking why they are facing this situation of it being taken away. [They should be demanding] that response times are in no way impacted.”
Ambulance Victoria group manager Graeme Parker said MICA 3 had a long and distinguished history serving Footscray and the western suburbs.
Our “desire is to keep it operating in the area and we’re looking at a number of options available to us,” he said.
“The community can be assured that we work closely with our strategic planning team to ensure that our resources are placed in the most effective locations to be able to respond.”
Meanwhile, soaring numbers of patients requiring ambulances are placing pressure on overstretched services.
The Weekly this month revealed budget cuts are causing paramedics to spend too much time stuck outside major western suburbs hospitals.
Ambulance Victoria group manager Tony Elliott said the service transported about 1750 patients to hospital each day — up from 616,982 in 2009-10 to 639,735 in 2010-11.
He said the service worked closely with hospitals to minimise “ramping” time, the period ambulances spend at emergency with patients on board.
“We have a number of initiatives in place at hospitals, which allow us to free up paramedics to respond to life-threatening emergencies.”
