- Published:
- Thursday 1 February 2018
Ambulance response times continue to improve and more elective surgeries are being done on time, 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 today 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:
- 81.4 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.
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.
Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews
“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 Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Jill Hennessy
“Our reforms ensure that ambulances are able to focus on prioritising the Code 1 callouts and get the most ill and injured patients to hospital more quickly.”
“Under the Liberals, ambulance response times blew out to the worst on the Australian mainland and if ever given the chance they would once again cut health services and undermine our paramedics.”