THERE has been a slight improvement in waiting times for ambulances responding to Code One incidents in Glenelg Shire.

According to an Ambulance Victoria’s Performance document, the average wait time for a Code One incident in the first quarter of the current financial year (July 1 to September 30) is 14 minutes and 20 seconds, an improvement from the 14 minutes and 35 second response time the same time last year.

There has also been an improvement in response times from the final quarter of the 2023/24 financial year according to an Ambulance Victoria spokesperson.

“In the Glenelg Local Government Area, paramedics attended 74.7 per cent of Code 1 patients within 15 minutes – up from 69.1 per cent in the previous quarter,” the spokesperson said.

“As a result, paramedics are arriving one minute and 26 seconds faster than three months ago (the third quarter of the last financial year).”

Ambulance Victoria defines Code One emergencies as those that involve patients requiring urgent paramedic and hospital care.

“These patients receive a ‘lights and sirens’ response,” the Ambulance Victoria’s Performance document said.

Ambulance Victoria official response time target for Code One incidents is within 15 minutes for 90 percent of incidents in centres with populations greater than 7,500.

In Glenelg Shire, this response time is applicable to Portland only, which has a population of 11,230 according to the 2021 census.

Statewide, Ambulance Victoria’s official response time target for Code One incidents is within 15 minutes for 85 per cent of incidents.

In further good news, the amount of Code One incidents is down in the first quarter of the current financial year in comparison to the same period last year.

There were 300 Code One incidents in the first quarter of the financial year, compared to 356 at the same time last year.

However, according to the Ambulance Victoria’s Performance document, Code Two emergency response times have gotten longer for Glenelg Shire residents.

Ambulance Victoria defines Code Two emergencies as incidents that are acute, but not time critical and do not require a lights and sirens response.

In the first quarter of the 2023/24 financial year, Glenelg Shire residents had to wait on average 38 minutes and 20 seconds.

However, the first quarter of the current financial year saw the response time increase to 45 minutes and 15 seconds.

Number of Code Two incidents did drop in the first quarter of the current financial year to 236 compared to 257 during the same period last year.

Ambulance Victoria Executive Director Regional Operations Danielle North has praised the work of paramedics state-wide.

“Our dedicated paramedics and first responders do an incredible job working under pressure to provide the best care to communities across the state every day,” Ms North said.