BALLARAT paramedics are among the fastest and most efficient in the state.
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The latest ambulance performance statistics, released on Thursday morning, show paramedics are reaching Ballarat patients needing the most urgent care more than one minute faster than the same time last year.
They were confident a renewed Save Lives: Save 000 for Emergencies campaign would help dramatically shave response times more.
Ambulances in Ballarat reached code one cases in 10 minutes, 28 seconds on average in the three months to New Year, compared to an 11:37 average response time in the same period last year.
Paramedics also responded 87.9 per cent of code one emergencies in Ballarat within the 15 minute target from call-outs in the three months to January, up four per cent from a year earlier.
The only faster response can be found in inner-Melbourne.
Ambulance Victoria Grampians regional director Chris James said the continued improved response was the result of a revised triage model for call-outs and state government investment in strengthening such reforms.
“It’s about the most appropriate response to patients’ needs – about 50,000 people have been referred safely to medical care in non-emergency transport – this helps to make ambulances available for our most time critical cases,” Mr James said.
“We can get to our Grampians health services faster and patient distribution is quicker, they’re seen quicker and our ambulances are released quicker.”
Ambulance Employee Union secretary Steve McGhie agreed the investment in changes had significantly helped to make paramedics available to the most life-threatening cases sooner but there was still more work to be done.
“It’s about educating the public again in only making triple-zero calls for emergencies,” Mr McGhie said. “Results are collaborative efforts of Ambulance Victoria, the government, paramedics and the community call centre for triple-zero calls.”
Ballarat paramedics are also clear above the state average in responding to code one emergencies: 81 per cent of ambulances statewide are arriving within 15 minutes of call-outs and responding in an average of 11 minutes, 42 seconds.
Demand on hospital emergency departments has increased across the state at the year’s end. One major factor was the lingering effects of Victoria’s worst flu season, compared to the thunderstorm asthma epidemic in November 2016.
Ballarat Health Services Base Hospital medical staff treated almost 1000 more people in the emergency department than last summer with the city impacted by both health crises.
The Base Hospital also had about 400 more patient admissions compared to the same three months to the year’s end last year. Hospitals recorded the highest number of admissions on record of 473,411 patients spending time in hospital.
Wendouree MP Sharon Knight said state government reforms had prioritised code one call-outs and results were starting to show.
“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,” Ms Knight said.
