INDIGO Shire ambulance response times to urgent calls for assistance are still among the worst 15 shires across the state as latest quarterly data is released.

According to the Ambulance Victoria data, Indigo Shire crews were on average 14 seconds slower responding to Code 1 patient cases (requiring urgent paramedic and hospital care) between July and September compared to the last quarter.

The average response time to Code 1 incidents within the shire was 21 minutes, the 15th slowest in the state.

Out of 187 total incidents, crews were able to respond to 29.4 per cent of those within 15 minutes, down from 33.8 per cent last quarter.

Within the April to June quarter, Indigo Shire observed one of the biggest improvements in average response times to critical incidents, shaving two minutes and 35 seconds off the average response time between the January to March quarter.

AV Hume regional director Peter Jenkins said there is more work to do and AV continues to work with hospitals to transfer patients as quickly as possible and ensure all Victorians receive the right care at the right time.

“Our expert Secondary Triage team of nurses and paramedics also make a real difference by connecting patients with the care they need while helping free up crews for patients in time-critical emergencies,” Mr Jenkins said.

“From July to September, 41,142 people who did not need an emergency ambulance were instead connected to more appropriate care by paramedics and nurses in Secondary Triage.

“In 2023/24, paramedics referred nearly 43,000 patients to the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED), with over three quarters cared for without transport to a physical ED.”

Mr Jenkins said it is also important that everyone does their part, and if your matter is not an emergency, consider using alternative care options.

“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,” he said.

Ambulance Victoria (AV) executive director regional operations Danielle North said across Victoria there was a 2.7 per cent drop in demand compared to the previous three months, which was the busiest quarter on record for Code 1 cases.

As a result, ambulance response times to the most time-critical patients was 16 seconds faster on average across Victoria.