Ninety per cent of ambulance triple-zero calls are meant to be answered within five seconds.
The triple-zero service is expected to be one of the beneficiaries of Tuesday’s state budget,asPremier Daniel Andrews pledges to tackle a health system under severe strain.
A $115.6 million package for 120 new call takers and other staff was announced in March,while money for another 43 staff was allocated in last year’s budget.
The government wouldn’t say how many deaths or adverse events with possible links to call delays it was aware of,citing coronial investigations into four deaths and anongoing review by ESTA’s regulator,the Inspector-General for Emergency Management.
“ESTA staff have been working tirelessly during the pandemic to help Victorians but,clearly,any delays are unacceptable,” a Victorian government spokeswoman said.
A separate report by former police chief Graham Ashton has been provided to the government,which is considering its recommendations.
While it remains unclear if those who died after waits to reach triple zero would have lived if not for the delays,the deaths highlight the ongoing risk.
Another case in late February in which a patient in a private hospital had self-harmed and later died is on the list of adverse events linked to emergency call answering delays.
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Victorian Ambulance Union secretary Danny Hill said delays not only put people at risk by delaying the dispatch of paramedics,they also meant bystanders and family were missing out on potentially life-saving CPR and first aid advice.
“Those instructions to family members and bystanders over the phone,to roll someone onto their side,to check their airways – those are the things that save lives,” he said.
“In a perfect world,that’s delivered within 30 seconds of the call being made. They get the address,the details,they dispatch an ambulance,and then they’re talking them through how to save someone’s life. Even that part of it is being significantly delayed.”
ESTA said it had increased the number of ambulance call takers and dispatch workers by 46 full-time employees since the start of the pandemic and was training more staff every day.
“Significant investments have been made by government for additional call takers and dispatchers and this has increased ESTA’s ability to have a more consistent and stable number of staff rostered on each day to meet higher call demands,” a spokeswoman said.
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