Victoria’s ambulance union calls for plan to fix triple-zero crisis

Victoria’s ambulance union has revealed a simple plan to help ease the current triple-zero crisis, amid shocking examples of wait times.

The number of triple-zero call takers should be immediately doubled, the head of Victoria’s ambulance union says, amid deadly delays in answering pleas for help.

Danny Hill said the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority needed to urgently increase the minimum number of ambulance call takers to 24.

“ESTA are meant to have at least 12 staff on overnight, but if there’s any drop shifts and they’re not backfilled then it’s not uncommon that we see numbers drop down to eight or even nine staff,” the Victorian Ambulance Union secretary said. “With how busy it gets, the number of call takers needs to be at least doubled. Those calls need to be answered within five seconds – when we’re trying to get lifesaving treatment to a patient anywhere we can shave off time is crucial.”

The Herald Sun revealed in October that former top cop Graham Ashton would head a review into ESTA’s capabilities, in the wake of reports two people suffering cardiac arrest died after triple-0 calls went unanswered for five minutes in each case.

Ambulance Victoria are growing frustrated at the delay in call taking. Picture: David Crosling

A second review, by inspector-general for emergency management Tony Pearce, was announced this week amid other shocking examples.

But Mr Hill said more immediate action was needed, and ESTA should have recruited more call taking staff at least six months ago.

“We needed more staffing six months ago when the system started to show signs of distress, that’s when the work they’re doing now should’ve started,” he said.

“ESTA call takers do an incredible job but it’s the understaffing of them that’s led to this issue, not the workers themselves.”

Opposition emergency services spokesman Brad Battin said: “(The) Emergency Services Minister has been warned of issues for weeks and told waiting will cost lives.”

ESTA is recruiting 43 new call takers, dispatchers and mental health support workers – all due to be working by the end of January – and is offering current staff overtime shifts to boost numbers.

Sheree Clausen family waited eight minutes to be connected to paramedics. Picture: Supplied

Eleven ambulance call takers have also been seconded from NSW.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the reviews into ESTA’s operations “are very serious matters” and would ensure that critical delays didn’t continue. “We are committed to that process and making whatever changes need to be made,” he said.

Mr Andrews said if there were immediate solutions discovered by those leading the reviews into ESTA, he had no doubt they would act fast to introduce them.

ESTA interim chief executive Stephen Leane said: “Our triple-0 operators care deeply about the service they provide and the community they serve – we are always distressed if any caller has to wait for help and any delays are unacceptable.

“We cannot comment on every individual case but acknowledge that any delays in answering emergency calls is unacceptable,” he said.

TRAUMATIC 8-MINUTE WAIT

COL Clausen was left waiting eight minutes for his desperate call for help to be answered – but it “felt a lot longer”.

He found his “soulmate” and wife of almost 19 years, Sheree, unconscious in the family’s bathroom about 6.30pm on October 21.

He immediately started CPR while his teenage son phoned triple-0. The call wasn’t answered for eight minutes.

“I don’t know if that would change anything in her circumstances but there appears to be a resourcing issue and I don’t want another family to go through this,” Mr Clausen said.

“A delay like that increases the trauma and impact on the family involved in the emergency response.”

The cause of Sheree’s death is still being investigated by the Coroner.

But the dedicated mother’s death has been life changing” for Mr Clausen and their three sons, aged 17, 15, and 12.

Mr Clausen thanked the CFA officers and paramedics who “did everything they could that day”, as well as the emergency call-takers, but said “there appears to be an issue with the time frames”.

“I am aware of triple-0 call delays, but did not realise the hold times were that significant,” he said.

“It may not have changed the outcome for us, but I’m sure there will be other people where it will change the outcome.”