An inquiry will be established to investigate the performance, workplace culture, and procurement practices of Ambulance Victoria, following a motion passed in the Victorian Parliament’s upper house, brought forward by The Nationals and Liberals.
The Nationals’ Member for Shepparton District, Kim O’Keeffe, said this inquiry is a crucial step toward addressing the issues impacting Ambulance Victoria.
“Our ambulance service has struggled for years under Labor’s watch, especially in rural and regional areas like ours,” Mrs O’Keeffe said.
Mrs O’Keeffe expressed concern over the strain on both patients and paramedics due to limited resources.
“There’s been regular ramping at GV Health, where ambulances are queued outside for hours, preventing them from responding to new emergencies,” Mrs O’Keeffe said.
“The exhaustion and burnout among our ambulance workforce are at critical levels and must be urgently addressed.”
Recent Ambulance Victoria data has highlighted the alarming shortcomings in response times for Code 1 emergencies across the Shepparton District.
The official Ambulance Victoria target is for 85 per cent of Code 1 emergencies to be responded to within 15 minutes.
However, in Greater Shepparton, only 70.5 per cent of ambulances met this target, and in Moira Shire, just 46.6 per cent of ambulances arrived within the 15-minute window.
The Legal and Social Issues Committee will now investigate these issues and report back to Parliament by 31 August 2025.
“Labor can’t manage money, can’t manage our health system and Victorians are paying the price,” Mrs O’Keeffe said.