The most recent Ambulance Victoria (AV) performance report indicates that targets are not being met across the region.
The two official AV response time targets are:
- Respond to Code 1 incidents within 15 minutes for 85 per cent of incidents state-wide
- Respond to Code 1 incidents within 15 minutes for 90 per cent of incidents in centres with populations greater than 7500
Code 1 emergencies are defined as the highest-priority incidents which require urgent paramedic and hospital care.
Across Victoria, 65.6 per cent of Code 1 emergencies were responded to within the 15-minute target from the beginning of January to the end of March of this year.
In the Mitchell Shire, 52.3 per cent of these incidents were responded to within the target, with 17:53 being the average response time this quarter.
State Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland said this data is more than figures on a page.
“These are not just numbers. They are people in pain and in danger, waiting far too long for help to arrive,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Labor’s failure to properly invest in health and emergency service in the regions is putting lives at risk.”
Across the Euroa electorate, all six local government areas failed to meet the target, with Benalla Shire’s average response time within the two-month period being 16:52, Murrindindi’s being 25:44, and Strathbogie’s being 22:06.
The quarterly performance data also reveals that Victorian paramedics responded to more than 95,000 time-critical cases, a number which is 31.8 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels.
A spokesperson said the Victorian Government is continuing to invest in the state’s emergency services, with $58.4 million allocated in the 2025-26 state budget to enable emergency departments to see patients sooner.
“We won’t take any lectures from the Liberal National Party who went to war with our paramedics, hid ambulance wait times and cut health services across regional Victoria the last time they were in government,” the Victorian Government spokesperson said.
“Our paramedics and emergency department staff provide exceptional care - there is a current surge in demand due to seasonal illness and a high number of staff off due to illness.
“Overall, the demand for ambulance services is currently 35 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels and Ambulance Victoria has as many crews on the road as possible, with priority always given to the sickest and most time-critical patients.”
For more information on the latest Ambulance Victoria performance data, visit https://tinyurl.com/2t64xy9f