Ambulances arrived at the scene of emergencies on average more than two minutes quicker in the March quarter than at the height of the ambulance crisis under the former Liberal Government, new data shows.

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Jenny Mikakos today released the March quarter of the Victorian Health and Human Services and Ambulance Victoria Performance Data, which show Code 1 ambulances arrived two minutes and 50 seconds quicker than the Liberals’ final March quarter.

State-wide results show 84.2 per cent of ambulances arrived within the benchmark 15 minutes – an improvement on 83 per cent a year prior. In 2014 when the Liberals were in power, only  73.2 per cent arrived within 15 minutes – and ambulance response times blew out to the worst on the mainland.

The City of Greater Dandenong’s times continue to improve, with ambulances arriving in 9 minutes and 27 seconds, an improvement on the 10:11 arrival time a year earlier, and 91.5 per cent of Greater Dandenong’s Code 1 ambulances arrived within 15 minutes, more than the 90.1 per cent a year prior.

Ambulances are also turning out to more emergencies. Some 72,318 Code 1 callouts were made for the quarter – 5705 more compared with the same period 12 months prior, and the third highest recorded since Ambulance Victoria’s clinical response model reforms, which free up ambulances for emergencies.

Ambulances arrived at emergencies within an average 11:04 minutes in the three months to the end of March, up from 11:23 a year prior.

In Greater Dandenong, ambulances responded to 2046 Code 1 calls, up on the 1926 call-outs in the March quarter 12 months prior.

Our dedicated paramedics provide life-saving treatment to those who need it most when an emergency strikes. They deserve our support so they can do what they do best.  That’s why the Labor Government’s $500 million ambulance package was so important.

The quarterly data also shows our public health services are providing world-class care, despite Canberra‘s $305 million claw back from Victoria’s hospitals – cuts that are hurting patients, nurses and doctors across the state.

Our hospitals did 689 more elective surgeries in the March quarter than they did a year prior and treated 89.6 per cent of all elective surgery patients within their benchmark times – up by 1.2 per cent.

All of Dandenong Hospital’s Category 1 urgent elective patients were treated within the benchmark 30 days. More than half were treated within six days – a day quicker than a year earlier, and well under the benchmark target of 30 days.

Dandenong treated 85.2 per cent of all elective surgery patients within their benchmark times – up by 3.3 per cent a year prior.