Ambulance Victoria in crisis again, off-duty staff called in as patients ‘rapidly’ offloaded

Victoria’s ambulance system is on the brink, with a code red declared for the seventh time this year.

Ambulances at Sunshine Hospital. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Luis Enrique Ascui

Victoria’s ambulance system has reached breaking point, with a weekend code red emergency pointing to a compromised system that threatens to undermine the Andrews government’s bid for a third election win on November 26.

Facing a third Covid-19 wave and rampant influenza, authorities scrambled on Sunday morning to staff ambulances and clear loading bays outside emergency departments amid heated debate over Labor’s handling of the health system.

It is the seventh time this year a code red has been called and comes after the government was smashed over its handling of the pandemic crisis in 2020, which was widely seen as the worst response in Australia at the time.

It also comes as the ambulance ramping issue continues to bite, with opposition claims of widespread cases of patients being held inside ambulances because there is no room at emergency ­departments.

Patients seriously ill but well enough to travel safely to hospitals have been urged in these ­crises to make their own way.

The code red was declared just before 2am on Sunday in metropolitan Melbourne for 90 minutes due to “extreme demand”.

It came as at least six ambulances were lined up outside Sunshine Hospital 16km northeast of the CBD about 1pm on Sunday, and another nine at the Royal Melbourne Hospital about 3pm.

Acting Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan admitted on Sunday the system was imperfect and the pandemic and influenza were causing problems across Australia.

“There’s no doubt there are pressures on our system. Ambulance Victoria reported its busiest quarter in its history in the last quarter,” she said. “That demonstrates huge demand that’s being placed on our hardworking paramedics and ambulance staff.”

Her concessions come after the South Australian election was influenced heavily by the ambulance ramping issue, where Labor stormed into power after a lengthy campaign on patients being denied quick action to hospitals.

A spokeswoman for Sunshine Hospital could not definitively say whether some or all of the ambulances were ramped, but images showing half a dozen to a dozen vehicles parked outside emergency departments is believed to be typical of many hospitals across Melbourne.

A code red occurs when the ambulance system is overwhelmed, forcing off-duty staff to be called urgently to work, rapid patient transfers at hospitals and to divert non-emergency ambulances to respond to cases.

They occur under conditions of extreme demand and raise questions about the system’s ability to cope during a third Covid-19 wave.

Ambulance Victoria director of operational communications Lindsay Mackay said a surge of calls about midnight on Saturday forced the service to take action.

Although about 170 paramedics have been furloughed daily from Covid-19 over the past week, she said she did not believe the strain on the health system would be alleviated by pumping more staff and ambulances on to the field. “We obviously have challenges with constant furloughing of staff with Covid-19, we obviously have flu season as well,” she said.

A row of ambulances at Royal Melbourne Hospital. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Luis Enrique Ascui

“I don’t believe the answer is lots more ambulances in the field. It’s really about a whole system approach … that’s where we have to look – how is the system working.”

An Ambulance Victoria spokesman confirmed seven code reds had been declared so far this year, an average of one a month.

Ambulance Victoria Union secretary Danny Hill said ambulance services “right across the country” are overwhelmed because patients cannot get appointments with GPs and aged-care homes are understaffed, leaving hospitals as their only option for minor treatment.

“We are in a health crisis, (but it is) not something that should be laid at the feet of the ambulance service. I don’t think putting on 1000 more paramedics tomorrow is going to fix the system. All that happens is that they end up ramped at hospitals,” he said.

“It doesn’t address the issues … which is that paramedics are expected to address (incidents) that are not within their remit. Paramedics are regularly transporting patients that do not require medical intervention.”