Having raised the challenges facing our health services in Parliament, Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, is pleased a new inquiry will consider in detail the performance of Victoria’s ambulance service.

The Nationals and Liberals recently successfully passed a motion to establish a parliamentary inquiry into the performance, workplace culture and procurement practices of Ambulance Victoria.

“Having met with the ambulance union of recent times, it is clear significant changes need to be made,” Mr Bull said.

“Among them is the need to better triage calls to triple zero, so ambulances are preserved for emergency cases and are not called out to tend to the likes of toothaches, which they have said is occurring.

“These are the sorts of matters the inquiry will look at, and I have no doubt hospital ramping will also be a significant matter of investigation, which hopefully will result in improved outcomes.

“I am pleased the motion was supported, despite opposition from the Allan Labor Government, which I find peculiar, and this is about identifying better outcomes. Another element I support is the short turnaround as we don’t want an inquiry that drags on so long its findings cannot be implemented quickly.

“Our paramedics are burnt out and frustrated with the clunky system they operate under.

“Ambulance Victoria has been failing to meet response time targets for many years now with ambulances left ramped outside our regional hospitals becoming the new norm.

“These vehicles sitting outside emergency departments which cannot take the patients is not an acceptable outcome. It results in paramedics then being called in from further afield to respond and the answer is getting these crews back on the road and serving the community.

“I have no doubt the outcomes will point to the need to improve this element of our hospital system,” he said.

The Legal and Social Issues Committee will inquire into these and other related matters and report back to Parliament within the coming weeks.

Monday, 26 August 2024