Up to 14 ambulances left queuing at Dandenong hospital

In 2015 the Andrews Government outlawed the trouble-plagued bypass system which previously allowed busy hospitals to declare themselves off limits to ambulances. But do these photos prove the overhaul hasn’t worked?

Ambulances ramped outside Dandenong Hospital on Wednesday, July 17.

More than a dozen ambulances were left queuing at a single hospital last week as flu cases ramped up pressure on paramedics and emergency departments.

Up to 14 ambulances were photographed waiting to offload patients at Dandenong Hospital about 3pm on Wednesday, raising Opposition claims that the Andrews Government’s bypass overhaul had failed.

Monash Health confirmed in a statement that a surge in ambulance arrivals at Dandenong within an hour had increased pressure on the emergency department.

“Patients in ambulances were immediately triaged on arrival to ensure the most urgent cases were prioritised and transferred to cubicles,” the Monash Health statement said.

“Less urgent cases took longer on Wednesday afternoon because of the sudden influx of vehicles.”

Ambulance Victoria regional director Chris James confirmed there were delays offloading patients on Wednesday afternoon.

Ambulances ramped outside Dandenong Hospital on Wednesday, July 17.

Ambulances ramped outside Dandenong Hospital on Wednesday, July 17.

Ambulances ramped outside Dandenong Hospital on Wednesday, July 17.

“Delays at hospitals can occur during winter, often when we see an increase in flu or respiratory-related cases,” he said.

“We work closely with hospitals to ensure patients can be transferred into hospital care quickly and safely, which allows ambulance crews to again become available to respond to emergency calls.”

In late 2015, the Andrews Government outlawed the trouble-plagued bypass system which previously allowed busy hospitals to declare themselves off limits to ambulances.

Under the current model, Ambulance Victoria is provided with an overview of how busy each hospital’s emergency department is so it can decide which is the most appropriate to take patients to.

But Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said Wednesday’s ramping was another example of how the system was failing patients.

“Daniel Andrews promised that ambulance ramping would no longer occur outside our hospitals, but these images show that he has failed to do so,” she said.

“Victorians deserve a health system that puts patients first.”

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A spokesman for Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said ambulances were arriving faster to code-one emergencies than ever before.

“We’ve seen a higher than usual start to the flu season, and our hardworking hospitals and paramedics can become extremely busy from time to time, especially during the winter peak,” the spokesman said.

Documents released to the Opposition last year showed ambulances were being turned away and “redistributed” from busy emergency departments up to 100 times a day during the height of the 2017 flu season, while dozens of others queued up at hospitals waiting to transfer patients.

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