Victoria’s ambulance response times were worse under the Liberals, the Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services has confirmed.
In 2013-14, one in ten ambulances took more than 22 minutes to arrive at Code 1 emergency scenes, well above the 15 minute target, making Victoria the worst on the mainland.
In Melbourne the time in which 50 per cent of ambulances responded to Code 1 emergencies was 10.8 minutes, the worst in the country.
The survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests decreased every year under the Liberals, falling to 29.4 per cent in 2013-14. This compares to 34.5 per cent in 2009-10 when Labor was last in government.
The two-year battle for better pay and conditions saw our hard working paramedics pushed out of the service.
In 2013-14 the attrition rate of the operational workforce of Ambulance Victoria was 4.2 per cent, higher than the national average of 3.6 per cent.
The Andrews Labor Government went to the election promising to end the war on paramedics – to work with, not against, paramedics to reduce response times and help them deliver better care to Victorians.
On day one, the paramedics’ work value case was referred to the Fair Work Commission.
We have released secret data that showed the crisis in the system was worse than imagined.
We have replaced the Board of Ambulance Victoria.
We have resolved the protracted and bitter industrial dispute.
We have established the Ambulance Performance and Policy Consultative Committee, which met for the first time this week.
The Labor Government’s $60 million Response Time Rescue Fund will support initiatives that free up ambulances for critically sick patients, and $40 million has been committed towards upgrading ambulance stations, vehicles and equipment.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Ambulance Services, Jill Hennessy
“These figures don’t lie. Under the Liberals, our ambulance service was in crisis.”
“This report confirms what Victorians know – Victorians have been waiting too long for ambulances to arrive.”
“The Andrews Labor Government will work with our hard working paramedics to improve the service and find the minutes that save lives.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020