Shocking screenshot reveals just 1 per cent of Victoria’s ambulances were available

A leaked screenshot from Ambulance Victoria dramatically highlights just how stretched the state’s paramedics are, with only 1 per cent of crews free to respond to lifesaving call-outs at critical times.

The Allan government has come under increased pressure over the ambulance crisis in recent weeks. Picture: David Crosling

It’s the damning screenshot that highlights Victoria’s worsening ambulance crisis – showing just 1 per cent of Melbourne’s ambulance crews were available early on Tuesday morning.

The leaked Ambulance Victoria image shows that just 1 per cent of the estimated 130 crews working across metropolitan Melbourne, or a single ambulance, was not allocated to a job.

At the time two critical patients were among 49 people waiting for help.

Ambulance Victoria insiders fear the worsening crisis will lead to fatalities following the tragic deaths of two patients this month who died while waiting up to five hours for help.

They say chronic hospital ramping is tying up resources and keeping paramedics off the road for entire shifts regularly.

The screenshot shows just 1% of ambulances were available with 49 people waiting for help. Picture: Supplied

Paramedics were pushed to breaking point on Monday night, responding to more than 2100 emergencies including a 7.5 per cent increase in expected critical Code 1 cases.

Victorian Ambulance Union boss Danny Hill said the worryingly low fleet availability was a major concern.

“Having 1 per cent fleet availability means that when the nearest crew is sent to a patient, it is normally coming from miles away,” he said.

“On Monday night one crew responded under lights and sirens from North Melbourne to Sunbury, then to Wyndham Vale, then to Fawkner.

“These were all time critical emergencies, and, in each case, there were no other available ambulances closer.

“If you are one of the few available crews responding to emergencies all across Melbourne, I can promise you it’s dangerous and exhausting.”

Ambulance Victoria executive director Danielle North admitted fleet availability reached just 1 per cent, but said crews were still available to respond to critical cases.

“All crews are available to respond to higher acuity cases than originally dispatched to, until they reach a patient, and all crews on meal breaks can be recalled,” she said.

“It is inaccurate to report that there was just one ambulance available at any particular time across metro Melbourne.

“Ambulance Victoria uses a dynamic operating model to ensure the right care at the right time, with specialised teams … deployed where they’re needed most.”

Ambulances were ramped at multiple hospitals across Melbourne this week. Picture: David Crosling

The Allan government has come under increased pressure over the ambulance crisis in recent weeks following the deaths of two Victorians who died waiting for help.

The first, an elderly Blackburn man, bled to death after falling and hitting his head and waiting more than five hours for paramedics to arrive.

The second, a woman in regional Victoria, was left to die after police refused a request by paramedics to attend her home because of an alert on their system.

Shadow health spokeswoman, Georgie Crozier, accused the government of neglecting the crisis.

“For years Labor has promised to fix the system, but they keep failing to address the systemic issues which is putting the lives of Victorians at risk,” she said.

“God forbid if there is a major incident with only 1 per cent of ambulances available.”

Latest data, by the Productivity Commission, shows that Victoria’s ambulance services experienced the lowest growth in revenue across all states between 2019-20 to 2023-24.

On a per capita basis Victoria also spent less than Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.

However Victoria has more paramedics than any other state or territory and fewer incidents per 1,000 people than the national average.

Average response times are also the third best in the nation for capital cities, after only the ACT and Western Australia and fourth best when applied across the whole state.

Ambulance Victoria insiders fear the worsening crisis will lead to fatalities. Picture: X/Ambulance Union Victoria

Jacinta Allan this week conceded the government needed to look at further reforms to address the strained system.

A government spokesperson said the Virtual Emergency Department, Urgent Care Clinics and the Nurse on Call program were critical to reducing the load on emergency departments.

“Our paramedics and emergency department staff provide exceptional care, and Monday night was no different, despite the surge in demand due to seasonal illness and a high number of staff off due to illness,” she said.

“Demand for ambulance services is currently 35 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels and Ambulance Victoria has as many crews on the road as possible, with priority always given to the sickest and most time critical patients.”

Originally published as Shocking screenshot reveals just 1 per cent of Victoria’s ambulances were available