One-in-three Victorian ambulances failing to hit Code 1 emergency response time target of 15 minutes

Victoria’s health minister has threatened hospitals with “consequences” if they fail to meet new standards to ease ambulance ramping as new data shows response times are going backwards.

Victoria’s health minister has threatened hospitals with “consequences” if they fail to meet new standards aimed at ending ambulance ramping as fresh data shows response times are getting worse.

Under the new benchmarks, hospitals must offload 90 per cent of all ambulance patients within 40 minutes and allow paramedics to get back on the road 20 minutes after that.

The new standards will begin Tuesday at the state’s 17 busiest emergency departments, with the aim of improving response times by 4 per cent by the end of June.

They were announced as Ambulance Victoria revealed its response times have again worsened, with the organisation failing to meet one of its key response time benchmarks in the final three months of last year.

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas says hospitals needs to do more to combat ramping.

Ambulances ramped out the front of The Royal Melbourne Hospital. Picture: David Crosling

From October to December, paramedics responded to just 64.9 per cent of critical Code 1 cases within the statewide target of 15 minutes.

It’s a decline from the previous July-September quarter, where 65.4 per cent of patients received an on-time response.

The demand faced by Ambulance Victoria is 30 per cent more than pre-pandemic levels, with paramedics now responding to about 100,000 critical Code 1 emergencies every three months.

Health and Ambulance Services Minister Mary-Anne Thomas on Tuesday conceded ramping is the biggest issue in Victoria’s health system.

“It’s really clear that if we are to improve ambulance response times, if we are to end ramping, then we can’t keep doing things the way we’ve always done them and expect for them to be changed,” she said.

“This is about culture change.

“What’s worked in the past is not going to be fit for the future.”

Ambulances ramped at Geelong Hospital. Picture: Alison Wynd

Hospitals will be told to look at recent initiatives implemented by the Austin Hospital, which has consistently improved emergency department and patient handover times in recent years.

This could include hospitals appointing dedicated resources — like a senior clinician — to support faster patient transfers.

Robust assessment guidelines will also be enacted to allow suitable patients to be transferred directly to the emergency department’s waiting room.

Doctors will also be able to admit patients into wards.

Ms Thomas has vowed to come down hard on hospital bosses that fail to meet the “clear actions and outcomes”.

“There will be consequences,” she said.

“If there’s consistent fail, I will be directly involved.”

The standards were developed after consultation with clinicians, health services, Ambulance Victoria, unions and peak bodies.

Originally published as One-in-three Victorian ambulances failing to hit Code 1 emergency response time target of 15 minutes