Ambulance crisis continues as waiting times blow out

Twenty-one Victorian deaths have been linked to slow ambulance response times in damning new revelations, as the government is accused of having blood on its hands.

Ambulance waiting times continue to blow out, as damning new figures reveal there have been 21 deaths linked to critical delays.

Ambulance Victoria acting CEO Libby Murphy on Friday told the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee that more than half of all Code 1 cases were being met within the 15-minute benchmark.

A Code 1 emergency is something deemed to be time-critical and requires a “lights and sirens” response, such as cardiac or respiratory arrest.

Ms Murphy told the committee that time-critical cases were, on average, being met about 60 per cent of the time.

Ambulance Victoria acting CEO Libby Murphy says more than half of all Code 1 cases are being met within the 15-minute benchmark. Picture: Daniel Pockett

“It has dipped into the 50th percentile and we continue to work very, very hard to serve the community,” she said.

It comes as Ms Murphy confirmed 21 incidents — treated as being a “sentinel event” — are under investigation by authorities.

Only three have been linked directly to Ambulance Victoria, while the other 18 are being treated as the responsibility of besieged call-taking agency ESTA.

A sentinel event refers to incidents which are preventable but result in serious harm to, or the death of, a patient.

Liberal MP and committee member James Newbury called on Health and Ambulance Services Minister Martin Foley to apologise to the Victorian families that had been failed by the emergency services crisis.

Four code red and 51 code orange declarations have been made by Ambulance Victoria during this financial year alone. Picture: David Geraghty

“I have apologised for the unacceptable arrangements, where in the circumstances of people, particularly ringing Triple-0, that they haven’t got the service they are entitled to,” Mr Foley told the committee.

“Every death is a tragedy.”

A fired-up Mr Newbury interjected: “So, say sorry. We have 21 deaths. This isn’t a joke. These are weasel words”.

“Twenty-one people have died and you have refused to say the words sorry,” he added.

“You have blood on your hands. It’s outrageous.”

Four code red and 51 code orange declarations have been made by Ambulance Victoria during this financial year alone.

Under code red and orange protocols, people who phone triple-0 might be encouraged to make their own way to hospital.

It was also revealed that between July 1 last year and March this year, 9492 taxis were dispatched to transport people that didn’t require a lights and sirens response, to hospital.

Health Minister Martin Foley says Victoria’s ambulance services will improve. Picture: Brendan Beckett

The state government has repeatedly blamed the increased demand on the pandemic, prompting Liberal MP Bev McArthur to ask Mr Foley what will happen when Covid-19 “runs out of being an excuse” for the government.

“Ambulance services will improve. That’s what will happen,” Mr Foley responded.

Earlier in the hearing, Department of Health officials were forced to admit they don’t know how many patients died waiting for elective surgery.

Department of Health secretary Euan Wallace confirmed the government didn’t maintain the records for removal due to death.

Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said proper reporting processes were needed to recover and rebuild our health system.

“Victorians have sadly died in pain while waiting for surgery and in an added insult to families, their deaths are not recorded meaning the full extent of Victoria’s health crisis is unknown,” Ms Crozier said.

Originally published as Ambulance crisis continues as waiting times blow out