Macedon ranges ambulance response times keep improving
Ambulance response times continue to improve and more elective surgeries are being done on time than ever before, thanks to record investment in our health system by the Andrews Labor Government.
Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Jill Hennessy have released the Victorian Health Services and Ambulance Victoria Performance Data for Quarter Two 2017-2018, which showed ambulances and our hospitals kept up with demand despite enduring Australia’s worst flu season.
The latest data finds that:
4 per cent of Code 1 ambulances are arriving within 15 minutes of call-out, compared with 76 per cent a year earlier and miles ahead of the 73.7 per cent from when the Liberals were last in government – it’s Victoria’s best Quarter Two in nine years.
Ambulances across the state are getting to life threatening emergencies more than a minute-and-a-quarter faster compared to last year’s result – at an average of 11 minutes 42 seconds.
47,911 elective surgeries were performed in the last quarter, 2,729 more surgeries than when the Liberals were last in power.
473,441 patients were admitted to hospital – the highest number ever recorded – exceeding admissions at the same time a year ago, when hospitals were hit hard by Victoria’s thunderstorm asthma event.
The Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas and Minister Hennessy today visited the team at the Ambulance Victoria Woodend Branch.
In the Macedon Ranges Shire, we are seeing improvement, with 62.6 per cent of ambulances now arriving within 15 minutes for Code One emergencies, up from 53.5 per cent compared to a year earlier.
This means the average time for an ambulance to reach the scene of a Code One emergency in Macedon Ranges over the same period has improved from 16:11 minutes to 14:36.
These results follow the Labor Government’s record funding boosts and major health reforms, which are delivering more ambulances more quickly, and helping save lives.
A Productivity Commission Report released this week shows that Victoria is the only state in Australia to improve ambulance response times over the past year.
This is in stark contrast to the previous Liberal Government, which went to war with paramedics, ripped $1 billion out of our hospitals, and left Victoria as the worst performing state on the Australian mainland.
For Sunbury Day Hospital, we are seeing positive results. The hospital:
Admitted 2156 patients in the 3 months to the end of December – up from 2004 admissions in the same period a year earlier.
Admitted 455 patients from the elective surgery waiting list for the December quarter– an extra 116 admissions on a year earlier.
Treated half of the hospital’s Category 1 elective surgery patients within 10 days – well under the 30-day benchmark.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Jill Hennessy
"These strong results from our hospitals and ambulance service are more than just numbers – they represent more lives saved and people getting the care they need faster."
"Victorians deserve nothing less than a health system that they and their loved ones can rely on when they need it and that’s what we’re delivering."
Quotes attributable to Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas
"It’s fantastic to learn that our ambulances response times are the best they’ve been in nine years and that patients in the Macedon Ranges are reaping the benefits of the Labor Government’s record investment in our ambulance service."
"Especially in regional towns, it’s vital that our paramedics have the resources and support they need to respond to emergencies. The Labor Government’s funding boosts and major health reforms have been the driving force behind these latest numbers."
