INDIGO Shire recorded the lowest percentage of ‘lights and sirens’ ambulance responses within the benchmark of 15 minutes in the state.

Ambulance Victoria released the latest emergency response time figures between October and December last year breaking down local government area and urban centre locality responses.

Indigo Shire recorded the lowest percentage of Code 1 responses under 15 minutes, with just 22.6 per cent of 190 urgent responses meeting Ambulance Victoria’s yardstick in the most recent quarter.

The shire recorded an average response time of 24:36 minutes, blowing out 3:36 minutes compared to the previous quarter.

Ambulance Victoria Hume regional director, Narelle Capp, said Ambulance Victoria knows more work was needed to be done in order to bring response time towards the benchmark of 15 minutes.

“Ambulance Victoria continues to work with hospitals to promptly transfer patients and ensure all Victorians receive the right care at the right time,” she said.

“Since last November, we have welcomed 84 new graduate paramedics to our ranks and a further 15 new recruits will start soon including qualified paramedics from New South Wales, Queensland, the Northern Territory and New Zealand.

“In 2025, we are rolling out new digital radios across regional Victoria and iPads to all our crews with a modern platform making it easier and faster to complete electronic patient care records.”

Ms Capp said expert secondary triage team nurses and paramedics also have made a difference by connecting patients with the care they need while helping free up crews for patients in time-critical emergencies.

“From October to December, 43,864 people across Victoria who did not need an emergency ambulance were instead connected to more appropriate care by paramedics and nurses in Secondary Triage,” she said.

“In less urgent cases, there are many options people can access when they need timely medical care and health advice all day every day – but not an emergency ambulance or calling Triple Zero (000).

“This includes the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED), Urgent Care Clinics and other options such as your GP or pharmacist, or Nurse-On-Call on 1300 60 60 24.”

Hume Region crews responded to 5837 Code 1 cases between October and December 2024, with the biggest improvements seen in the Mansfield and Wangaratta LGAs compared to last year.

In the Mansfield LGA, paramedics attended 50.5 per cent of Code 1 patients within 15 minutes – up from 43.7 per cent a year earlier.

The Wangaratta LGA saw a big improvement in Code 1 average response times in the first quarter of the financial year at 14:31 minutes but blew out to an average of 15:24 minutes in 614 responses from October to December 2024.

Alpine saw increases of 1:39 minutes to response times compared to the last quarter and were up 2:07 minutes compare to this time last year, with October to December times at 23:56 minutes.

Strathbogie Shire responses within 15 minutes of Code 1 cases decreased more than six per cent on the last quarter at 30.3 per cent and an average response time of 24:18 minutes.