Victorian patients continue to suffer long wait times to access hospital treatment, with new data out today showing paramedics have spent more than a cumulative century waiting for patients to be admitted to hospital.
Internal Ambulance Victoria documents, released under Freedom of Information, show that transport crews have spent in excess of 523,000 hours since 2018 waiting at emergency departments. With ambulances generally staffed by two paramedics, this equates to over 120 years of lost time per paramedic, says Victorian Shadow Minister for Health, Georgie Crozier.
Ms Crozier says the Andrews Government has had almost a decade in office yet the health system continues to deteriorate.
“We are seeing continued ramping at completely unacceptable levels, with the most vulnerable in our community having treatment delayed, many with life-threatening conditions,” she said.
“Paramedics should not have to spend hours with patients waiting in an ambulance, only to have to continue that care in overcrowded hospital corridors.
“The Andrews Government has wasted over $30 billion in major project cost blowouts – money that could have been spent expanding vital hospital resources and treating Victorians faster.
“Once again it is Victorians who are suffering as a result of the Andrews Government’s mismanagement of the health system.”
