By Violet Li
Casey and Greater Dandenong residents waited longer for the ambulance than last year, according to the latest quarterly statistics released by Ambulance Victoria (AV).
From October to December 2024, about 61.3 per cent of Code 1 incidents in Casey were responded to within 15 minutes, a drop from 64.6 per cent in the same period in 2023. The average response time was 15 minutes 46 seconds in the quarter, 35 seconds longer than the year before.
Greater Dandenong saw an 8.2 per cent decrease in Code 1 incident responses within 15 minutes in the quarter, from 74.3 per cent in 2023 to 66.1 per cent in 2024. The average response time in 2024 was one minute and six seconds longer than in 2023, from 13 minutes 49 seconds to 14 minutes 55 seconds.
Neither the performance in Casey nor Dandenong in this quarter met the statewide targets of responding to Code 1 incidents within 15 minutes for 85 per cent of incidents.
Statewide, AV crews across Victoria responded to 64.9 per cent of Code 1 cases within the state-wide target of 15 minutes.
The state-wide average response time to Code 1 emergencies was 15 minutes and 42 seconds.
Code 1 incidents happen to patients who require urgent paramedic and hospital care.
Statistics from the Victorian Agency for Health Information (VAHI) have shown that when it comes to the 90th percentile response time for life-threatening incidents under Code 1 incidents, Casey recorded a response time of 19.02 minutes in the October to December quarter, about 2.88 minutes slower compared with the year before. The number was higher than the statewide value of 18.74 minutes.
Ambulance Victoria (AV) executive director Regional Operations Danielle North said demand for ambulance crews remains steadily high, with the last quarter of 2024 being AV’s fourth busiest on record.
“We have seen a 26.6 per cent increase in Code 1 cases since the pandemic began more than five years ago,” Ms North said.
“October to December is commonly one of our busiest times, and last year was no exception as our crews were called to 99,799 Code 1 emergencies. This was also the third quarter in a row close to or above 100,000 cases.
“In the face of this sustained pressure, our highly skilled paramedics and first responders do a remarkable job providing the best care to their communities, each and every day.”
Ms North said there was more work to do.
“AV continues to work with hospitals to promptly transfer patients and ensure all Victorians receive the right care at the right time,” she said.
“More new paramedics have also hit the road to help meet demand. Since last November, we have welcomed 84 new graduate paramedics to our ranks, and a further 15 new recruits will start soon, including qualified paramedics from New South Wales, Queensland, the Northern Territory and New Zealand.
“Our people are our greatest assets. It is through them that we continue to lead the way in patient care, including one of the best cardiac arrest survival rates in the world.
“We are also giving them the latest technology they need to do their job and get back on the road quicker. In 2025, we are rolling out new digital radios across regional Victoria and iPads to all our crews with a modern platform, making it easier and faster to complete electronic patient care records.”
