Thursday, 30 November 2023

 Emma KEALY (Lowan) (14:19): My question is to the Minister for Health. In September Daryl Rowe was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis at the Beechworth Health Service. He was forced to wait 5 hours for an ambulance to transfer him to Albury Base Hospital for urgent treatment. How many more Victorian lives will be put at risk before the government fixes the health crisis?

 Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:20): I welcome the question from the member, and she referred to Daryl’s case that occurred in September of this year. I am very happy to follow up on the circumstances surrounding this case if the member for Lowan wants to share those details with me.

 Emma KEALY (Lowan) (14:20): In February the minister said that she had a ‘laser-like focus’ on improving the performance of Ambulance Victoria. Ambulance Victoria data released today shows that more than a third of life-threatening emergencies were not responded to within the target time frame. Why has the minister failed to ensure that Ambulance Victoria meets its performance targets?

 Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:21): Once again, I thank the member for Lowan for her question. Let us be clear, Ambulance Victoria is responding to more code 1 call-outs than at any time ever in its history. Indeed demand for ambulance services is up 40 per cent on prepandemic levels. I do have a laser-like focus on improving ambulance response times. Again, I extend the offer to the member for Lowan to share the details of the case that she has raised in this house, and I am very happy to look into it and find out exactly what has happened. But let me say this, our government will continue to back in AV. We are working on the system reform that is required to ensure that we return our ambulance response times back to where they were – the best on record under the Andrews–Allan Labor government.