Hannah Hammoud
Paramedics responding to Code 1 cases in Brimbank are arriving more than three minutes faster than a year ago according to the latest figures released by Ambulance Victoria.
Ambulance Victoria’s performance results for October to December 2023, showed the average response time for Code 1 “lights and sirens” cases in Brimbank was 13.28 minutes, down from 16.30 minutes for the same period in 2022.
The three minutes and two seconds improvement puts the average response time for Code 1 cases in Brimbank almost two minutes below the 15 minute target time.
Metropolitan Regional Director Michael Georgiou said the statewide average response time to Code 1 cases was also now under 15 minutes, the first time in two years this has been achieved.
“The opening of a new ambulance branch in Taylors Lakes in late 2022 continues to make a real difference in improving our responses across Melbourne’s west,” he said.
“It is also great to see people in Brimbank embracing the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) for non-urgent cases to avoid unnecessary trips to our emergency departments.”
The percentage of ambulances arriving in Brimbank within the 15 minute target time also improved, rising to 74.6 per cent, almost 15 per cent better than the previous year which sat at 59.8 per cent.
In total, Ambulance Victoria responded to 3101 Code 1 call outs to the municipality, compared to 3209 for December 2022.
Response times for Code 2 cases, those considered acute but not requiring lights and sirens, improved as well, with Brimbank recording an average time of 40.28 minutes, compared to 54.48 minutes a year earlier.
Ambulance Victoria reported that the largest improvements in response times were seen in Melton, Brimbank, Wyndham, Nillumbik, Merri-bek and Hume local government areas.
Overall, the last quarter of 2023 was Ambulance Victoria’s busiest on record, with 154,267 emergency cases, including 99,833 Code 1 cases – the second most on record.
