Probe into four deaths after triple-0 delays

The coroner is investigating whether triple-0 delays contributed to four deaths, as Covid continues to place pressure on the healthcare system.

The coroners court is investigating four deaths where delayed response times to an emergency call may have been a contributing factor.

The probes come amid intense pressure on triple-0 emergency call lines and follow reports that up to 70 per cent of calls at some times are failing to hit call response targets.

The Coroners Court on Wednesday said it is investigating four deaths “where response times to an emergency call may have been a contributing factor”.

The deaths have occurred since October.

“The briefs of evidence are currently being compiled for the coroner,” a court spokeswoman said”

“As the investigations are ongoing, no further comment can be made.”

James Merlino, when questioned on the issue on Wednesday, said that one in five calls to triple-0 were non-urgent issues.

He said “everyone in Victoria” has a role to play in taking pressure off the healthcare system.

This is not the first time Ambulance Victoria or the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) has made headlines, with Covid placing the system under immense strain.

The Herald Sun understands two ‘key’ members of ESTA’s executive team have left in recent weeks, following the resignation of former chief executive Marty Smyth in October last year.

Just a few days ago Ambulance Victoria was forced to issue a ‘code red’ for the second time in a week.

The alert — which applied to the metropolitan Melbourne area — was issued just before 11.30pm on Monday night and lasted until 3.35am.

During that time Victorians were warned to expect delays due to ‘high demands’ and urged to contact Nurse on Call services or a GP if they did not have an emergency illness.

“Ambulance Victoria is experiencing an extremely high demand for ambulances in the metropolitan region,” the statement said.

“It is likely there will be a delay in an ambulance reaching you.

“Our priority is to provide care to Victorians who require life-saving assistance.”

It is the second time the warning — which is usually rare — has been issued in the past week, with a similar message going out on January 5.

In October last year, the Herald Sun reported two people in cardiac arrest had died after their calls were unanswered for five minutes, and that Graham Ashton would be leading a wholesale review into ESTA’s operations.

Daniel Andrews said he will be speaking to Ambulance Victoria. Picture: Getty Images

Speaking on Tuesday morning, the Premier said he would be speaking to Ambulance Victoria about the ‘code red’ but stressed they were doing the best they could in a pandemic.

“But we’ve got 420 of them who are at home, who aren’t out on the road because they’ve got this (Covid) or they’re a close contact of someone who has got it,” he said.

“If every time you attend a patient you’ve got to put PPE on, then take PPE off, go through all the infection control … protocols … that adds seconds, minute.

“Plus of course there is a lot of people who are very tired from two hellish years.

“There’s pressure there, we’re all doing out best.

“We’re putting on extra crews, they’re working in different ways.”

An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said they have a “detailed Emergency Response Plan and escalation procedures to effectively manage a surge in workload and demand”.

“The global COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant and unprecedented impact on health systems including Ambulance Victoria and hospital emergency departments,” she said.

Monday’s ‘code red’ comes after paramedics begged Victorians to leave triple-0 for emergencies, as shocking figures reveal the number of people calling with general Covid questions.

Healthcare resourcing issues are not unique to Ambulance Victoria, with the Premier revealing as many as 5000 healthcare workers could be out of action due to Covid and isolation requirements.

Mr Andrews said currently about 4000 hospital staff and more than 400 ambulance workers were currently unable to attend work because of virus requirements, but flagged this figure could be higher.

“There’ll be more, there will be other people who haven’t yet told us that they’re not available,” he said.

“It could be upwards of 5000, maybe even more.

“That’s a lot of people. It is a lot of staff plus of course there’s a lot of people who feel very tired from two hellish years.”

Mr Andrews said there was pressure on the hospital system and asked Victorians to do what they could to take pressure off staff by wearing masks and following isolation and testing guidelines.

Danny Hill is urging Victorians to not call triple-0 with questions about Covid testing.

Earlier this week, paramedics had pleaded with Victorians to not ring triple-0 to ask general Covid questions.

Queries about vaccines, testing and results are taking up operators’ time, at a period when the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) has been struggling with a significant increase in ambulance calls.

Some call-takers estimate more than half of their Covid-related calls are not urgent, a survey of some ESTA union members has revealed.

Victorian Ambulance Union General Secretary Danny Hill said non-emergency calls have a flown on effect on wait times, with one caller waiting 17 minutes to speak to an operator on Saturday night.

“Some (operators) said 40 to 50 per cent (of calls) were Covid related, but of that only about one-in-five really had anything wrong with them at all,” he said.

“The vast majority were just confused, didn’t know who else to turn to, didn’t know where else to go and just thought I’ll dial triple-0 and are just seeing triple-0 as a one-stop shop for everything, which it isn’t.”

Mr Hill said the results from the union survey were “worrying”.

“It shows how much time is being wasted with people who have general health inquiries – and they’re reasonable inquiries to make.

“But it’s disturbing that people think triple-0 is where you should go to get those questions answered.”

He urged the public to reserve triple-0 for emergencies, and to contact the Covid hotline with general questions about testing or vaccination.

In October 2021, the state government announced a ‘save triple-0 for emergencies’ campaign, in response to the increased demand.

At the time of the launch, the government said one-in-five calls to triple-0 were for non-emergency situations.

ESTA was contacted for comment but has previously urged Victorians to use other health services when lights and sirens are not needed.

The Covid hotline can be reached for free on 1800 675 398, while Nurse On Call, also free, is available at 1800 606 024.