Health minister reveals Ambulance Victoria to probe shock ambo call for 91-year-old
Ambulance Victoria will undertake a formal review into a shocking incident where a 91-year-old with a brain bleed was forced to make her own way to hospital, as political pressure mounts over the incident.
Ambulance Victoria and Victoria’s virtual emergency department (VVED) will undertake a formal review into the shocking incident where a 91-year-old was forced to make her own way to the hospital.
Lois Casboult, 91, suffered a brain bleed and broken pelvis after a horror fall at her home on Sunday.
But when paramedics arrived, Mrs Casboult’s daughter said, she was told to find her own way to the hospital — just nine minutes away.
She ended up being taken to the hospital in a private car.
Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said she backed the decision, maintaining she had been following the clinical decisions made by health experts.
“The VVED and Ambulance Victoria confirmed yesterday afternoon that they will undertake a formal multi-agency review of the case, and I back this decision.”
“Clinical decisions are rightfully made by clinicians not politicians.
It comes as the president of the Victorian branch of the Australian Medical Association (AMA), Simon Judkins, said that the incident “certainly needs review”.
“It does look bad from when you look at … Lois, and the injury she’s suffered.
“Clearly there needs to be a review of the decision-making.”
Public outcry and pressure from the opposition has increased calls for action on Mrs Casboult’s incident.
Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier called on Ms Thomas to resign over the incident.
“Minister, quite frankly, you should resign from your position given the disgraceful disregard for what is happening within our health system, as has been highlighted with the shocking story of 91-year-old Lois Casboult”, Ms Crozier said on Thursday night.
“I know you will not do that, as you and all of your colleagues refuse to take any sort of responsibility or be accountable for the failings within your portfolio areas.”
Ms Thomas said: “It is clear Georgie Crozier and the Liberal Party don’t trust our dedicated health workforce and can’t be trusted to manage our world-class health system.”
Mr Judkins, from the AMA, also said that Victoria’s emergency departments and Ambulance Victoria were doing “a great job”.
But he said the process of a review would enable paramedics to engage with any recommendations that could improve responses.
The Victorian Ambulance Union has strongly defended the response to Mrs Casboult’s incident, saying “there are no question marks” over the paramedic’s response.
The union said that Mrs Casboult was not denied an ambulance by an online doctor, and she was assessed inline with clinical guidelines.
“They did exactly what they are trained to do,” a spokesman said.
“Where patients do not require treatment in the back of an ambulance from paramedics, but assessment at hospital is recommended, paramedics are required to consider options such as transport in a private vehicle.”
Originally published as Health minister reveals Ambulance Victoria to probe shock ambo call for 91-year-old
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