Ambulance delays in Victoria trigger Parliamentary inquiry

By Khadija Hadjab

Sep 3, 2024

“The exhaustion and burnout among our ambulance workforce are at critical levels and must be urgently addressed," Ms O'Keeffe said.

Following a motion passed in the Victorian Parliament’s upper house, an inquiry will be established to investigate Ambulance Victoria’s performance, workplace culture, and procurement practices.

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State Member for Shepparton Kim O'Keeffe, welcomed the inquiry as a crucial step in addressing issues impacting Ambulance Victoria.

“Our ambulance service has struggled for years under Labor’s watch, especially in rural and regional areas like ours,” Ms O’Keeffe said.

Ambulance Victoria’s data, released on August 1, 2024, highlighted shortcomings in response times for Code 1 emergencies across the Shepparton District.

Ambulance Victoria aims to respond to 85 per cent of Code 1 emergencies within 15 minutes.

However, in Greater Shepparton, only 70.5 per cent of ambulances reached this goal, while in Moira Shire, just 46.6 per cent arrived within the 15-minute timeframe.

Ms O’Keeffe voiced her concern about the impact of limited resources on both patients and paramedics.

“There’s been regular ramping at GV Health, where ambulances are queued outside for hours, preventing them from responding to new emergencies,” Ms O’Keeffe said.

“The exhaustion and burnout among our ambulance workforce are at critical levels and must be urgently addressed.”

The Legal and Social Issues Committee will investigate these matters and provide a report to Parliament by August 31, 2025.